Girl Chat
by Rumpleteasza
Summary: Ah, the hilarious ongoing battle of the sexes. And Sora is caught in the middle when Tai makes a flippant remark about her dwindling femininity... will she be one of the boys forever, or will Mimi and the others succeed in bringing out her femme fatale?
1. Foreword

Hello you lovely lot of people reading this.  
  
This is an updated foreword; I do this every so often when reading back over my old writing and thinking how in God's name I could ever have thought it was funny. Anyway. This fic is purely self-indulgence, and a tribute to my fit as fig best friends, who I love best in the world, even more than Dominic Monaghan, I swear. Without you I'd be a little miserable misfit heap and would not have left my room in years (my friends, not Dom Monaghan obviously, he doesn't know I exist and I'm sure he wouldn't care even if I did). So thank you for being beblings! *huggle*  
  
It doesn't matter if you're into Digimon or not, this is just a cute girly story for anyone to read on a rainy day. I may re-write the slightly cringy bits at some point, but I must remind you all that I am a very lazy ho and it is not probable. But still. Also, as I do in all my stories, I call Daisuke by his original Japanese name instead of the dubbed American name, Davis. This is not because I am a pissy anime 'purist', but because the name Daisuke is very cool, and the name Davis is not. Simple as that.  
  
Ever seen Never Been Kissed? The shopping Centre scene in that, where the girls are walking along holding hands and buying the same stuff- that's how I want you to imagine mine. It just seemed to fit perfectly. Mimi doesn't live in America. Somehow, that was too complicated. Also, the school problem - if you're American, people stay in High School til they're 17 or 18 anyway, so it's not an issue. If you're British, just imagine they have a sixth form. A *long* sixth form.  
  
For the benefit of those readers who don't know much about Digimon (that is, I'm still hoping that by some rare chance one of my girlies will find and read this) here is a quick list of characters, their nicknames and their ages so as not to confuse you:  
  
Sora Takenouchi, 18  
  
Taichi (Tai) Yagami (elder brother to Kari), 18  
  
Mimi Tachikawa, 17  
  
Yamato (Matt) Ishida (elder brother to TK, lives with their father), 18  
  
Koushiro (Izzy) Izumi, 17  
  
Hikari (Kari) Yagami (younger sister to Tai), 15  
  
Miyako (Yolei) Inoue, 16  
  
Joe Kido, 19  
  
Takeru (TK) Takaishi (younger brother to Matt, lives with their mother, hence the name difference), 15  
  
Daisuke Motomiya (younger brother to Jun), 15  
  
Jun Motomiya (elder sister to Daisuke), 19  
  
Iori (Cody) Hida, 14  
  
Sorry to all Ken fans. Including you, Emily, yes, I can see you at the back with the cudgel there. It's just that when I started writing this fic, years and years ago now, I didn't know much about 02 except who the characters were. I knew nothing about Ken. Disclaimer-wise, I'm not even going try to pretend I own Digimon, because we all know it can only end in tears. So, with that out of the way, let the insanity commence!  
  
Love, Rumms xxx  
* 


	2. Chapter 1 The Accusation

_Girl Chat is dedicated to Megan, Kat, Kate, Milly and Leria, the best friends a girl could ever have. I love you all to bits x x x this story's for you._

* * *

Chapter One – The Accusation

His fists were clenched. He took a step closer. His chocolate-brown eyes were narrowed.

"You are nothing next to me. Haven't you figured that out by now?"

Her lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "Oh yes?"

"You will _never_ defeat me," he snarled.

A strand of auburn hair flopped over her rich crimson eyes. She raised a single eyebrow. "We'll see."

"Ok!" yelled another voice. "Less talk, more action! Get moving, you two!" The shrill blast of a whistle ripped through the air. Tai Kamiya sprang forward, aiming a kick for the football in front of him, but he wasn't fast enough. Quick as lightning, Sora Takenouchi slipped around him to steal the ball and shot down the field to her goal.

"No way!" Tai yelled at her retreating back. Charging forward, he caught up and executed a perfect sliding tackle, kicked the ball from her control and started off in the other direction.

"Looking good, Kamiya!" yelled the coach from the sidelines.

"Oh, no you don't!" Sora sprinted across the pitch until she was level with him, and, in retaliation, raced right across his path, between him and the goal. Thrown off balance, Tai's concentration lapsed as he fumbled not to crash into her. It was the break Sora needed – stealing the ball from him once more, she left him standing panting as she ducked behind him and slammed the ball straight into the goal.

"Wonderful!" jogging up to the two teenagers, Mitsumi-sensei beamed and threw an arm around each of their shoulders. "Excellent defence, both of you. Great goal, Sora. You two are going to be the stars of the side this year."

"Thank you, sensei," they both said simultaneously. Tai threw a sulky look at Sora, but couldn't help but grin when he saw the twinkle in his best friend's eye.

Grabbing two cans of coke from her bag, Sora tossed one to Tai, who caught it easily in mid-air, and snapped open the other for herself with one hand as she strolled back to the rest of her team mates.

"Nice going, Sora!" Daisuke high-fived her. "Not everyone leaves Tai Kamiya in the dust like that!"

"Hey, I let her win," Tai said coolly as he took a swig of soda. "You were lucky, Takenouchi."

Sora held back a smile. "What about at the park last weekend? And I beat you at Street Fighter yesterday, too!"

"Only because you knew that secret special move!" Tai protested.

"I don't think so. I think it was my superior skill, don't you agree?"

"No" he shot back, "I think you cheated."

"Oh yeah?" she challenged.

"Yeah!" Flinging his empty can into a bin, Tai dived for her and tackled her to the ground, wrenching her arms behind her so she couldn't move. Sora yelped and kicked, laughing breathlessly - boys' playfights were rough, she'd learnt that much over the years. But she wasn't harmless either. Yanking her arms out of his grasp, she rolled over and kneed him swiftly in the groin. Tai buckled immediately, and the rest of the team gave a collective wince.

"Duuude..." Daisuke bit his lip, trying not to laugh. "That's evil, Sora, that's really evil."

"Yeah, you're a girl, you don't know what it's like," Hiro Ikaru, another team member, said crossing his legs.

"Sora's no girl!" Tai spat painfully, carefully getting to his feet and acknowledging in grudging admiration that Sora had won. "I'd beat a _girl_ easy!"

Everyone fell silent. "Er, excuse me?" Sora said, confused. "If I'm not a girl, then what am I? Chopped liver?"

Tai laughed, moving his legs around and wincing a bit. "Well, yeah… I suppose you're _female_, in that way. But… you know what I mean. You're not really a _girl_, are you?"

"Oh, I'm a hermaphrodite now, am I?" Sora muttered, brushing herself off.

Tai laughed again. "Well, in a way, I guess. You're not a guy, but you're not girly either."

"Oh. I see."

"Leave it, Tai," Daisuke warned, looking anxiously at Sora's disgruntled expression.

"What?" said Tai blankly.

"Ok team, practice over!" shouted Mitsumi-sensei. "Same time next week!"

"Hey, isn't that Matt?" Daisuke squinted across the field.

Tai glanced over his shoulder from where he was getting his things together. "Yeah, he's probably here to meet TK after basketball practice. You wanna catch up with them?"

"Sure," said Daisuke, heading off towards him. Sora slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to leave the other way.

"Hey, Sora, are you coming?" Tai called after her.

"No, I'm meeting Mimi at the shopping centre." She told him, turning round and pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Shopping?" Tai teased. "That's not usually your scene."

"Yeah," she replied in a slightly cold tone Tai couldn't place. "Bit too girly for the likes of me. Tell Matt hi from me, ok?"

"Sure," Tai said, a little confused. "I'll phone you later, then."

"Ok."

Though he didn't quite know why, Tai couldn't help feeling the tiniest bit hollow in the pit of his stomach as he watched her walk away. _Did I say something wrong?_

* * *

"…and they're having a sale at Lipsy, I got these adorable boots there, knee high with chunky heels, you know? Knee boots are _so_ hot at the moment, they had tan ones in stock but I got the white, don't you think it suits my complexion?" Mimi Tachikawa paused for a split second to sip her latté. "Of course I had to get the matching bag, theyjust don't make an outfit without accessories. They'll go so well with my pink miniskirt, you know the one I got last week with Meduri? Oh my god, while we're on the subject of Meduri, she'sseeing the most divine guy – some Uni guy, I think – you have to see him, you'll just die, but the problem is Chanika likes him too and she's so angry at Meduri for going out with him…" 

Mimi stopped her flow of gossip as she noticed Sora wasn't responding, only sitting picking absently at her chips. "Sora? Is anything wrong?"

"What?" Startled out of her daydream, Sora jerked her head up as if noticing Mimi for the first time. "Sorry, Mimi… I'm just sort of preoccupied."

"Whassup?" Mimi asked cheerfully. "Anything I can help with?"

"Oh, well... I dunno."

"C'mon, Sora, we've been friends for ages. You can tell me anything," Mimi coaxed.

Sora took a deep breath. "Well…"

"What?" Mimi prompted.

"D'you think you could…"

"Yes…?"

"I need you to…" she trailed off.

"Oh, just _tell_ me!"

"Can you teach me how to be a girl?" Sora blurted out.

"Teach you how to be a girl?" repeated Mimi, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" Sora began to explain about football practice, the playfight between her and Tai, and what he'd said. When she'd finished, Mimi sat back, her painted sugar-pink mouth open slightly.

"Tai said that? He _really_ said that?" she asked in disbelief.

Sora nodded ruefully. "But he's right. Look at me!" She indicated herself with a sigh. "I'm just Sora, one of the boys. No wonder no guys ever like me. I don't feel like I'm part of either side, I'm just some kind of unisex being!"

Mimi trained an experienced eye over Sora from head to foot. She was wearing white trainers, a small pair of soft, stretchy black drawstring shorts and a sports vest top – an outfit that showed off her long, tanned legs and toned body kept fit and strong by years of tennis and football. Her short red hair was unadorned and tucked behind her ears, but soft and shiny. Her golden skin was smooth and spot-free. "Sora, there's nothing wrong with what you look like, I think it's more what you _act_ like."

Sora looked confused. "What?"

"It's all a question of attitude," Mimi went on authoritatively. "The fact is, you're a pretty girl who's taken care of herself very well, all that sport and exercise has kept you really in shape and it's given you a tan, too. Not to mention preventing any skin outbreaks. Aren't you at least a little bit glad you don't have spots? There's not one blemish on your skin, you lucky bi… um, girl." She grinned.

Sora considered it. "I s'pose I do keep myself healthy, but…"

"The thing is, you've grown up with Tai all your life, you play sports that are mostly played by boys, and you have loads of male friends that you hang out with all the time. There's nothing wrong with male friends, but it's almost like you've tutored them into accepting you as a boy, and now you're even starting to believe it yourself."

"I don't know." Sora slumped further into her seat dejectedly. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love how they're really comfortable around me and everything. I don't want them to walk on eggshells around me like they do with you, but it gets a bit depressing when they actually ask me to compete in their pissing-up-the-wall contests."

"Their... They actually _have_ those?"

"It gets worse."

Mimi put her hands over her ears. "Stop, stop, STOP. I don't want to know that. But what I do want to know is: what exactly makes you feel so un-girlish?"

Sora nibbled one of her chips. "I suppose… it's partly how I'm treated, but it's partly how I look, too. I know I'm healthy, but I haven't exactly got a very female figure, have I?"

Mimi frowned. "What do you mean? Even I'm jealous of those legs. That takes a lot. And you've got a flat stomach – what's wrong with the way you look?"

"I think ideally I'd like to be a bit bigger up top."

"Well, what size are you?" Mimi asked, business-like, drinking the last of her latté.

"Barely a B-cup. I hate being flat-chested."

Mimi laughed. "Sora, you're not flat-chested! Ok, so you're not the bustiest of girls, but you're still very attractive, it's not hindering you any. I'm only a B myself."

Sora looked doubtful. "But it makes me feel even more boyish, you know?"

"Sora, listen to me." Mimi leaned forward earnestly. "It's not how big they are, it's how you show them off that counts. Look at this." Searching through one of the many shopping bags that surrounded her seat, Mimi pulled out a magazine and flipped through it until she came to a picture of a beautiful model in a stunning dress with a plunging neckline that barely left anything to the imagination. She handed the picture to Sora. "Kate Moss, one of the most successful supermodels in the world. You know what size she is?"

"Um…"

"Double A."

"She's gorgeous." Sora looked at the photo in amazement.

"Yes, she is. Half the male population of the entire world drool over her, and she's the smallest bra-size you can get. It's just a question of what you wear and how you wear it."

"But it's even the smallest things that someone like you can do easily without even noticing it," Sora argued in frustration. "Things like standing the right way, giving out the subtle signals with body language, choosing clothes that flatter you, colours of makeup that suit you. I've never even worn makeup, let alone been able to put it on properly or co-ordinate lipstick with eyeshadow or know what type of mascara to use and stuff. I can't do any of that to save my life, but it comes to you so naturally."

"Ok, Sora, listen to me." Mimi leant forward decisively. "You think being a princess comes naturally? Do you?"

"Well, _princess_ is going a bit far, I was aiming for just feminine, but…"

"No, it doesn't," Mimi continued, ignoring her. "It's like everything else in the world, including football. You put in the effort, the work, and it's only when you've done that that you manage to get the score, get the ball in the basket, you know?"

"Goal."

"Whatever. Look, Sora, take me, for example. How much time d'you think I spend every morning pampering myself?"

Sora frowned. "I have no idea. Half an hour?"

"Three hours."

"What?" Sora yelled. People turned to look. Blushing, she lowered her voice. "Mimi, there is no way I'm getting up three hours earlier every morning to exfoliate my skin to perfection. I'm sorry, but I like my sleep."

"I'm not saying you have to do that, Sora," Mimi said patiently. "I just do it because I'm more dedicated to myself than most. The point is, like everything in life, if you want to get good results you have to be prepared to spend a little time. Your body is a temple, Sora."

"Is it?"

"Yes." Mimi clapped her hands together briskly. "Don't worry, Sora. I know exactly what to do with you." She gotup abruptly and started gathering up the sea of shopping bags that surrounded her chair.

"Do what with me? Where are you going?" Sora asked warily.

"We," declared Mimi, "are going back to my house, then I'll make you some real Italian mocha, then we're going to phone Kari and Yolei and plan the biggest and best girly day of pampering you could ever imagine. We'll make you female yet."

"But I'm not really the type of person to spend hours having manicures over coffee and stuff," Sora protested. "I think –"

"No!" Mimi cut her off, holding up her hand. "No, Sora, we do not _think_. Thought is for mortals. _We_," she indicated to herself dramatically, "are _women_." She drew a deep breath, thrust out her chest and headed out of the food court.

Sora muttered to herself as she caught up her bag and ran to follow her. "Oh God, what have I gotten myself into…"

* * *

**Rumms:** What indeed. 


	3. Chapter 2 The Girls' Plan

Chapter Two – The Girl's Plan

Two hours later, four girls sat at the sleek breakfast bar in Mimi's extravagant house, chatting and making plans over four steaming cups of Real Italian Mocha(tm).

"Mimi, this is such a cool idea!" gushed Yolei enthusiastically. "Just think about it! Us four girls spending an entire day shopping, in the sauna, at the hairdressers, having manicures and makeovers!"

"That's not the best bit." Mimi leaned forward, her eyes twinkling. "If any of the guys call you tonight and ask what you're doing Saturday, don't tell them. We'll arrange to meet them in the evening! By then we'll be totally made over and they won't be able to believe their eyes!"

"That's perfect!" Kari squealed, pitch rising high enough to make the glasses in the cupboard vibrate. "Then we can really show my jerk of a brother just how beautiful Sora is!"

_Let's not get carried away,_ Sora thought with slight alarm. Kari was second only to Mimi in her eagerness to makeover her unsuspecting friends. "Er – thanks, Kari… but what about TK for you? Not to mention Daisuke!"

Now it was Kari's turn to blush. "TK wouldn't notice, he doesn't pay any attention to things like that."

"Oh yeah?" Yolei teased. "Well, he won't have much of a choice on Saturday night!"

"Yeah, and I bet you'll be hoping Izzy's knocked out by you…" Mimi said wickedly.

"Izzy? I'm not interested in Izzy!" protested Yolei, but her pink cheeks gave her away. "Anyway, what about you and Joe?"

"Joe? What about him?" Mimi said innocently, opening her golden eyes wide.

Kari laughed. "Ok, we all know we have people we want to impress. It makes Saturday even more important!"

Mimi beamed and hugged Sora. "Your first proper makeover, Sora… and it's going to knock Tai's socks off!"

"Hey, hey!" Sora warned. "He's my _friend_, I only want to prove to him I'm not such a boy, that's all!"

Yolei, Kari and Mimi exchanged knowing glances.

"What?" Sora gave them a glare.

"Right, Sora," Yolei conceded unconvincingly. "Anyhow, where are we going to meet the boys?"

"Yeah," Kari frowned. "There aren't really many places to go out round here. Should we find a nightclub, or what?"

"A restaurant, maybe?" Sora suggested.

Mimi considered. "We could-" suddenly she broke off, and her eyes widened. "Oh my God!" she shrieked.

"What?" Yolei cried, startled.

"I'd totally forgotten! Don't you remember what Saturday night is?"

"The day after the day after tomorrow?" Sora offered.

"_How_ could we have forgotten?"

"Mimi!" Yolei shrieked, setting the wine-glasses off again. "Just _tell_ us already!"

"Saturday night is the school half-term dance!"

"Oh my God!" shouted the othertwo girls simultaneously.

"Oh, this is soooo perfect!" squealed Mimi, bouncing up and down in excitement. "Just imagine! The perfect excuse for us to get dressed up formal and everything!" Getting off her stool, she started doing a little dance of happiness around the kitchen. Laughing, Yolei grabbed her hand and spinned her.

Sora couldn't help but laugh as Kari pulled her up to join in. _Mimi's such a ditz_, she thought fondly as they twirled around the room, helpless with laughter. _But you just can't help loving her!_

* * *

"Hey, didn't I see Sora with you earlier on?" Matt inquired as he and the others strolled through Odaiba after a game of football in the park.

"Yeah," Daisuke dribbled the ball along the sidewalk and kicked it to Tai, who caught it expertly on his foot. "She was at practice with us. Dunno where she went after, though, I thought she was coming with us."

"She went to meet Mimi at the shopping centre." Tai laughed. "Can you imagine Sora shopping? She'd be looking in the sports store windows and Mimi'd be trying to drag her to all the clothes stores' changing rooms!"

Matt shrugged. "Hey, she's a girl. She probably shops just like Mimi when us guys aren't around."

"Sora?" Tai scoffed. "No way!"

"She's a _girl,_ Tai, no matter how much she likes soccer and hanging out with us," Matt reasoned. "God knows what they get up to when they're all together."

"I dunno about you lot, but girls in groups really freak me out," TK announced doubtfully. "The way they always whisper and giggle, you just know they're talking about you."

"Aw, you're just paranoid," said Daisuke scornfully, bouncing the ball on his knee.

"No way, Dai," Tai told him knowingly. "You should hear Kari on the phone. She always makes me go out of the room, but sometimes I listen in on the other extension-"

"You listen in on Kari's phone conversations?" Matt interrupted incredulously.

"What does she say?" TK and Daisuke demanded simultaneously.

"Does she talk about me?" Daisuke added hopefully.

Tai had an attentive audience now. "I heard her talking to Yolei once," he said casually.

"And?" TK pestered. "What about?"

Tai raised his eyebrows. "I don't know if I should tell you," he said, with maddening superiority.

"No way!" Daisuke complained. "You can't get that far and then just leave us hanging! Did she mention us or what?"

Tai grinned. "Yeah."

"What did she say?" TK and Daisuke practically screamed at him.

Matt was killing himself laughing by this time. "You two are _pathetic_," he gasped, wiping tears from his eyes.

Daisuke ignored him. "Well, what? Come on, Tai…"

"They were talking about who was cuter, you or TK," Tai said mischievously.

TK tried not to look too interested. "Yeah?"

"Well," Tai said slowly, grinning as he watched them squirm with impatience, "Yolei said, 'Daisuke has nice eyes, doesn't he? Kind of chocolaty-brown,' and Kari said, 'I know what you mean, they're a really rich colour.' And Yolei said, 'He should use eye-contact more, it'd really help him,' and Kari said 'But it is kinda cute the way he acts so confident but always seems just too shy to look you straight in the eye.'"

Daisuke grinned triumphantly while TK fumed. "Really…"

"Yep," Tai confirmed, thoroughly enjoying himself. In actual fact, he couldn't remember much of the original conversation, but the looks on his two friends' faces was more than a reward for pushing the boat out a bit. "But then Kari said, 'But TK has lovely eyes too, I mean, they're just a perfect shade of blue…' and Yolei said 'Blonde guys are pretty cute, TK has half of the school after him.' And then Kari sighed and said how it was good TK kept in shape playing basketball, and then Yolei pointed out that Daisuke played soccer too, and they agreed that it was pretty much a tie."

TK's cheeks glowed pink. Daisuke, blushing, mumbled something about never realising he had nice eyes. Tai was biting his lip to keep from laughing, but Matt hadn't even bothered to do that and was practically on the floor, crying with laughter.

"You two!" he wheezed, trying to get his breath back. "You are a true disgrace to everything manhood represents, you know that?"

"Stuff it, _Yama_," TK grumbled, reverting to the name he called his brother as a baby, just to annoy him.

Tai guffawed. "As if you'd ever catch older guys like me and Matt wrapped around some girl's little finger like that!"

Matt leant casually against the wall, an amused smirk flickering across his pale features. "Not us," he confirmed confidently.

"Bet you will," TK shot back.

Tai shook his head. "Not me. But I tell you what I would like to know – exactly what they talk about when they send us out the room and gossip."

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "I mean, why would they send us away if they weren't talking about us?"

"Unless they're talking about hair and clothes and makeup and stuff." Tai turned up his nose disdainfully.

TK shook his head distainfully. _"Girls."_

* * *

"Okaaay," Mimi said, chewing thoughtfully on a strand of pink hair. "We've narrowed it down to three choices of hairdresser. Riku's, Fringe Affairs or Toni & Guy." She sat up and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Which one d'you wanna go for?"

The girls were sprawled on Mimi's spacious bedroom floor, surrounded by flyers, pamphlets, magazines and the Tokyo Phone Book.

"I've never been to any of those," Sora said. "I usually just get a trim, so Mama just does it herself."

"I went to Toni & Guy when I got my layers done," offered Yolei. "It's kinda expensive, but you get the works – they even bring you drinks and magazines while you wait."

"Riku's is good," Kari put in. "I've been there twice."

"And my regular is Toni & Guy," Mimi said. "I've been going there for ages, it's just about the best you can get."

"So none of us have been to Fringe Affairs?" Sora asked. "We've only got it's reputation to go on." She sat back and took a cookie from the plate in the middle of the room. "I think we should go for Toni & Guy, Mimi and Yolei have both been there and sussed it out."

"Fine by me." Mimi looked at the other two. "Ok with you?"

"Yep," Yolei said happily. Kari nodded.

"Great!" Mimi beamed. She shuffled the magazines into a pile. "So, to recap – We meet here at 10:00 and start some serious shopping. Around 1:00 we lunch at Café Samba, then we drop off our stuff at my house and head to the gym, where we're booked for a Jacuzzi, sauna and massage, then to Toni & Guy, and finally at 4:00 we're due at Megami's Beauty Parlour for a facial, manicure and makeover. By the time that's finished it'll be dinner-time, so we come back here, grab something to eat and then get ready for the dance!"

"Oh my god, it's going to be so cool!" Kari clapped her hands.

"I can't wait!" Yolei grinned.

All four girls started squealing again.

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** (_sigh)_ Ok, so it's starting to sound lame. 'Lamy' is my nick name after all. (_Glares at Kate)_ THANKS……… Anyhow, it'll get better. I promise. (_cross fingers, touch wood...)_


	4. Chapter 3 How To Maximise Your Phone Bi...

**Rumpleteasza:** Thanks for all your lovely reviews! big snugly huggles special thanks to Emilia there. Milly, one day I will rise up and destroy you.  
xxxx

* * *

Chapter Three – How To Maximise Your Phone Bill

_Ring, ring… ring, ring… ring, ring…_

"Hello?"

"Hey Sora, it's me!"

"Hey Tai! What youup to?"

"Nothin' much. You ok?"

"Huh?"

"You seemed sort of angry at practice, I… well, I… guess I was just wondering if you were ok."

"What? Oh, that! Don't worry, just got a bit of a headache, that's all."

"Oh, right! You sure?"

"'Course!"

"Cool! So, you doing anything on Saturday? Want to see a film? Me and the guys are seeing Sewer Rats From Hell at the Roxy. You in?"

"Oh, Saturday? Sorry, Tai, can't make it."

"Oh… why, what are youdoing?"

"Out with the girls."

"…"

"Tai?"

"You _what?_ 'Out with the girls'?"

_(Laugh)_ "Me, Mimi, Kari and Yolei are having a day out together."

"Where?"

"Oh, you know… just around. Girl stuff."

"Like what? What's the big secret?"

"Sorry, Tai, that's for us to know and for you to wonder about… anyway, got to go and do that Maths or Mizuki-sensei'll blow her top tomorrow. Catch you later, ok?"

"Hey, wait! C'mon, Sora, what are yougetting up to with my sister and the others?"

"Oh, nothing you'd be interested in…"

"Yeah right."

"Got to run. Seeya, Tai!"

"I'll get it out of you somehow. Seeya tomorrow, Sora."

_Click._

* * *

_Ring, ring… ring, ring…_

"Konnichiwa, Tachikawa residence."

"Hi, Mimi? It's Joe!"

"Hey Joe! How's that extra work going?"

"You mean the junior medic's report for Ms. Hoshi?"

"I mean the one you've spent the best part of five days holed up over…"

"Yup, that's it. It's going pretty good, I'll be finished up by the weekend. Me and the other guys are seeing a movie then, want to come?"

"What, on Saturday?"

"Uh-huh. I told them I don't mind seeing anything except that gross horror movie about mutant sewer-rats."

"Sorry Joe, I can't. I have plans."

"You do? What're you doing?"

"Oh, just a little something with Sora, Yolei and Kari…"

"Oh yeah? I know that tone of voice… What are you up to, Mi?"

"Nothin'…"

"You're not fooling anyone!"

"I don't have to." (_Giggle)_ "Gotta go. Seeya soon, Joe, nice talkin'!"

"Wait a sec, Mi-"

_click._

* * *

_Ring,ring…_

"Konnichiwa, Inoue Convenience Store, how can I help you?"

"Konnichiwa, may I speak to Miyako please?"

"Oh, hello Koushiro, of course you may. Hold on for a second."

"Domo arigatou, Inoue-san."

…

"Hi!"

"Hey Yolei, it's me."

"I know! How's it going, Iz?"

"Not bad, and you?"

"Just fine! Did you sort out that debugging program for the virused-out computers at the lab?"

"Yeah, I'll have it finished by Friday. Hey Yolei, can you do me a big favour?"

"Sure, Izzy! Just name it!"

"Thanks 'Lei, I don't know what I'd do without you. I need some help debugging the computers before school starts again on Monday – could you come down with me on Saturday and give me a hand?"

"Are you kidding? Of cour- oh, rats."

"What is it?"

"I'm so sorry, Iz, I'm all booked up Saturday."

"Oh… you have plans?"

"Yeah…"

"What are you doing? Just curious-"

"Oh, just a little something I planned with Mimi, Kari and Sora."

"Sounds intriguing."

"Oh yeah, it'll be great!"

"Well, I hope you have fun, 'Lei!"

"Thanks Iz... but I feel bad about you doing all that debugging on your own. How about we head down there on Sunday instead?"

"Yeah, that's ok, I'm not doing anything then. Thanks!"

"No problem! Oh- don't forget it's the half-term dance Saturday night! You going?"

"Oh, well… I don't know, Yolei."

"Aw, c'mon! It'll be fun!"

"Well... ok, if you twist my arm. Isuppose I could do with an evening out."

"You're the best! Don't worry, it'll be great. Listen, I have to get off the phone in case we have customers calling in – I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Sure. Bye, 'Lei."

"Seeya!"

_click._

* * *

_Ring, ring… ring, ring… ring, ring…_

"Hello?"

"Hi Kari!"

"Hi TK! How was your day?"

"Good! Basketball practice was great, we totally crushed 'em!"

"Cool! And I bet you scored most of the baskets, right…?"

"Aw, Kari…"

"You did, didn't you?"

"It's a team effort, Kari. Everyone matters, not just the person who's lucky enough to score."

"That means you did. Hey, by the way TK, do you know what's going on with my brother? He came home in hysterics and hasn't been able to stop laughing since. He kept asking me if I liked the colour of your eyes, or something. D'you know what he's talking about?"

"…"

"TK? Are you still there?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm still here…"

"Well, do you know what he's talking about? He's been really weird all evening."

"Um, no, I got no idea, hehe, dunno what he's on about… um, say, Kari, d'you wanna get Yolei, Daisuke and Cody this weekend and all go to the movies or something?"

"This weekend? Sunday's fine, but me and the girls have plans on Saturday."

"Yeah? 'You and the girls'? Are you gonna go and sit in some beauty parlour and talk about us guys, then?"

"Maybe…"

"Really? That's what you're doing?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, TK Takaishi!"

"I would, actually."

"Well, hard cheese, it's our little secret!"

"Kari! Spoilsport."

"I'm sure you'll get over it…"

"Not if I get it out of you first. Hey Kari, Got to go, Matt wants the phone, but I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Ok, bye TK! Luv ya!"

"Luv ya!"

_click._

* * *

_Ring, ring… ring, ring… ring-_

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sora? It's Matt."

"Oh, hey Matt. What's up?"

"Nothin', just called for a chat."

"A chat? I didn't think you were a very chatty-on-the-phone type of person."

"Hey, is it a crime for a guy to want a little light conversation with a friend?"

"No, no, of course not. So what've been up to lately?"

"Oh, y'know, out with the guys, band practice, playing a few gigs, stuff like that."

"Playing gigs, yeah? Where's your next venue? We should all come down and see you play some time."

"We're playing atLoveculture next month. You really wanna come and see us?"

"Sure, Matt! You never tell us enough about what's going on in your life, I for one would love to see you play. Hey, I know – we can all be your groupies! Without the sex, of course." (_cough)_

:Laugh: "Hey, that's way cool, Sora! Thanks, dude!"

"No problem!"

"Oh yeah, Tai called earlier – he said you girls are all sneaking off out on Saturday to do makeovers on eachother and gossip about us guys while we aren't there."

"God, news travels fast…"

"It's true, then? I can't imagine you giving someone a makeover!"

"Yeah? Tai's attitude's been rubbing off on you! I'm not that masculine!"

"I'm kidding, dude. So you're really doing it, huh?"

"Well, we're not doing them on eachother, we're going to– hey, wait a min, you fixed this up, didn't you? Tai made you ring me and ask me what we're doing on Saturday for him, didn't he?"

"Uh…"

"Yamato Ishida, you are _shameless_! I really thought you rang because you wanted to talk to me!"

"Well, I-"

"So you can just go and phone him back and tell him it didn't work!"

"Hang on, Sora –"

"No way! What's so important about knowing what we're doing, anyway? God, I don't _get_ you boys sometimes!"

"Hey, hold on, Sora! Ok, I admit Tai asked me to call you, but-"

"I _knew_ it!"

"Ok, I'm sorry! But I wanted to speak to you anyway, just to catch up. We haven't talked in ages."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And I appreciate you wanting to come see the band, Sora. None of the others seem bothered."

"Oh, that's ok, no problem… sorry for going ape on you."

"No worries dude, s'pose I kind of deserved it. So, how about that catching up?"

"Sure!"

* * *

_Ring, ring… ring-_

"Moshi, moshi?"

"Hey Iz, it's Tai. Heard the news?"

"Oh, hi, Tai. What do you mean, news?"

"I mean that Sora, my sister, Mimi and Yolei are getting together on Saturday for no less than the wholeday to gossip abut us! Us guys! That's what I mean!"

"Oh, Yolei did mention something about that. What's the problem, Tai?"

"What… What d'you mean, 'what's the problem'? They'll all be talking about _us_! Kari knows secrets about me that would raise the dead, and she's gonna be telling them all to Sora!"

"Just Sora?"

"Well, no, obviously- hang on, that's not the _point_, Izzy! Do you want everyone to know about your continuous love-affair with your laptop when we first went to the Digiworld? Or how Mimi saw you sucking your thumb one night? Or-"

"Hey! What do you mean, 'continuous love-affair'? And I never sucked my thumb!"

"Well, Mimi thought you did, and she'll be telling Yolei all about it."

"I never- hold on, why specifically Yolei?"

"Oh, drop the act, everyone knows you two feel-"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Tai."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm not getting into this argument. Look, Tai, if you want to know what Sora's doing, why don't you just phone and ask her?"

"I spoke to her once this evening, she didn't tell me anything. I rang her again a couple of minutes ago. The line's busy."

"Oh, right."

"In the meantime, You call Joe and Cody, and I'll call Daisuke. Tell them to meet up tomorrow after school in the park, ok?"

"What about Matt and TK?"

"I already tried Matt, he's still engaged. He's talking to Sora. I didn't know he'd be _this_ long…"

"Well, why not? They're friends too, you know."

"Yeah, I know… ok, look, got to run, Iz. Make sure you tell Joe and Cody, yeah?"

"I suppose, if that's what you want. I'll see you tomorrow, then, Tai."

"Later!"

_click._

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** I'd been listlessly watching Clueless before I wrote this... Quite frightening, really, what can result from such activities.

xxx


	5. Chapter 4 The Boys' Plan

**Rumpleteasza:** You crazy people, you're actually READING this crap? Well done. If I knew you all, I'd kiss each and every one of you on the face. To answer a few of your comments – yes, Enchantress, the chapters get longer. They vary. I've done most of them already, but I edit them all the time. And by the way, Hi no Tori, I'm sorry, but... Ken's not in this one. (_restrains Ken fans)_ Sorry! Sorry! But I didn't know much about him when I started this, and it was less complicated to just leave him out. Many apologies. But on another note, there IS shounen ai in later chapters. Excellent. Oh yes, one more thing before I let you get on and read it - I don't know if I've mentioned this, but none of the girls are actually dating any of the boys in this fic. I might have given the impression, but I prefer being minxy about it, as opposed to nice and conventional. Should give you some idea…

Xxxxxxxx

* * *

Chapter Four – The Boy's Plan

"Ok everyone, settle down!" Tai yelled.

"Nobody was talking," Matt pointed out.

"Oh… yeah." Tai blushed. "S'pose I just like playing the leader."

Tai, Matt, Joe, Izzy, TK, Daisuke and Cody sat in a circle under the shade of the trees in Odaiba Park.

"So why are we all here, Tai?" asked Joe, blowing his nose hard. "I don't know why you wanted to meet in the park, it's aggravating my hayfever."

"Stop whining, Joe. I've got news." Standing up, Tai regarded them all with a serious expression. "Ok. I called you all here because there's about to be a serious violation of our privacy. For those of you that don't already know, I'll explain the situation."

"It's hardly a full-scale disaster, Tai," Izzy pointed out. "You're acting like nuclear war's about to break out."

"Thumb-sucking, Izzy, thumb-sucking," Tai growled ominously. Izzy snapped his mouth shut and sat back on the grass, his face grim.

"Will you lot tell us what's going on already?" complained Daisuke.

"Ok, here's the deal," Tai told them. "The girls are getting together for the day on Saturday to do all kinds of girly stuff, and I have it on good authority that it's likely they'll be talking about us boys. Now I'm aware that on first hearing this may sound a bit trivial," he held up his hands, "but there are things that some of the girls know about us that we wouldn't want them telling the others, if you know what I mean."

"Like what?" TK asked blankly.

Tai sighed in exasperation. "Ok, let me put it another way, TK. Think about what Sora and Mimi could tell Kari about those first days in the Digiworld, when you were eight. Remember how much you cried, your confession about painting the kitty when you were four, your little speech to Sora about how you didn't miss your mummy so much around her? Remember getting berry juice smeared all over your face when you were eating, and Matt teaching you how to piss in the bushes without getting your clothes wet?"

TK's face was flaming. Matt was laughing like a hyena.

Tai turned to Joe. "Remember falling in the lake and getting so soaked you had to stand naked behind a rock for two hours while your clothes dried, Joe? And Cody, what about when you were messing around a couple of months ago and got your head stuck in the railings? Or when Daisuke's belt broke when he was walking home from school with me and Yolei, and flashed the whole of Katsurati Plaza? Which reminds me, Dai, Kari said something about inviting Jun along as well – now just think about what Kari could hear from your _sister_!"

Daisuke's eyes bulged. "No way!"

Tai nodded. "Yes way. It's all there – bedwetting every other Thursday, blowing your nose on the curtains when nobody's looking, thumb-sucking… which brings me on to Iz-"

"That's enough, Tai!" Izzy snapped, feeling as if this thumb-sucking joke had by now had it's day. "We get the idea!"

Matt was rolling on the grass, howling with laughter. "I... I never knew you guys were such a load of idiots!"

Tai raised his eyebrows. "You're not exactly clean of all charges yourself, Matt."

Matt sat up, getting his breath back. He grinned roguishly. "Don't even bother, Tai. There's nothing you can pin on me."

"Oh yeah?" Tai smirked. "What about when me and Sora found you with that lollipop in the Digiworld, trying to-"

"Shut up!" Matt hissed hurriedly, his earlier humour gone. "Ok, ok, I get your point! So what do you want to do about it?"

"I have the perfect plan."

"I don't know about this…" began Cody uneasily.

"Whatcha thinkin', Tai?" Daisuke asked eagerly.

A sly smile crept over Tai's chocolate-brown eyes. "Do any of you have any stalking experience…?"

* * *

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me."

"No!"

"Te-"

"NO!"

"Aw, c'mon, Sora!" Tai whined. "What's so secret about it? What are you going tobe saying about us?"

Sora whirled round, banging the door of her cupboard shut and hugging her books to her chest. "Tai, how can I tell you what we'll be talking about when we haven't even had the conversation yet? Don't you think you're overreacting a bit?"

"You know I have insatiable curiosity."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "That's a very big word, Tai."

Tai grinned. "Aw, get stuffed." He fell into step beside her as they walked through the sunny hallway, bustling with students. "Isn't it natural to wonder what your best friend's up to on the weekend?"

"Tai," Sora said, wagging a finger at him, "I'm warning you…"

"What?"

"I'll-I'll…"

"You'll do what?" Tai mocked, opening his eyes wide. "What would you do to a sweet, loveable guy like me?"

You don't wanna find out!" Sora yelled, taking off down the corridor, running away from him as fast as she could.

"Oh, no you don't!" Tai shouted after her. "You don't get away that easily!" Quick as lightning, he caught up with her, snatched the books from her hands, stuffed them in his bag, and swung Sora up into his arms while she shrieked and wriggled. People in the hallway turned to look at them.

"Sora…" Tai looked down mischievously into her crimson eyes. "Did I ever tell you how stunningly beautiful you are…?"

"Tai!" Sora gasped, squirming, breathless with laughter. "Put me down!"

"Or what a lovely shade of colour your eyes are…?"

"Flattery will get you nowhere mister!" Sora yelled, hanging on desperately with her arms round his neck. Some of Tai's friends cheered him on, and a few popular first-year girls whispered and giggled at them, running off to tell the gossip to everyone they could find. Tai grinned.

"Or what a lovely figure you have…?"

Sora tipped her head back, laughing hard, weak with giggles. "Get real, Tai! I bet you haven't noticed how I look in at least a year! If you're going to win me with compliments, you'll have to at least make them realistic!"

For a second, Tai looked slightly confused. "Why wouldn't I-"

"C'mon, Mr Ladies Man," Sora laughed. "Chemistry awaits! If I'm late again, Haida-sensei'll have me for dinner. Put me down!"

"Well, ok," Tai said reluctantly, setting her back on her feet. "But I'm not finished with you yet, Takenouchi."

* * *

"As you'll see, the composition is particularly volatile…" droned Haida-sensei, drawing a chalk diagram on the board. Sora sighed, making a few more notes, feeling her eyelids drooping. Haida-sensei was giving one of her famously boring talks – this time on the properties of potassium– that the students had come to nickname 'lullaby lectures'. Sora had to agree. There was no faster or more effective method of sending you to sleep, especially on such a beautiful, lazy summer morning.

Her head was beginning to drop forward when something whizzed through the air and landed with a quiet smack on her desk, making her jump and gasp softly. It was a screwed-up piece of paper. She glanced up at Haida-sensei, but she had her back to the class writing an equation on the board and hadn't noticed. Sora unfolded the paper and smoothed it out on her desk.

_Tell me! I'll lend you my Playstation2 AND Virtua Fighter for a whole week…_

_t-kun x_

Holding back a smile, Sora looked over to Tai, who gave her an innocent, boyish grin. Taking out a felt tip, she turned the note over and scribbled on the other side.

_I could kick your monkeyass at Virtua Fighter anytime I like anyway, practice or not, and you know it._

_s-chan x_

Smiling superiorly, Sora flicked the note back at him and gave him an innocent, girlish grin before turning back to the lecture.


	6. Chapter 5 Prelude To The Crisis

Chapter Five – Prelude To The Crisis

Kari set down her lunch tray and plunked into a seat next to Yolei in the noisy cafeteria, in the corner the Digidestined all usually sat in. "Hey 'Lei, how's it going?"

"Great!" Yolei smiled, an excited gleam in her eye. "I'm just so hyper about Saturday, I can't wait! Time's going so slowly!"

"I know, it's going to be so cool!" Kari laughed. She grinned slyly. "TK's been pestering me all morning. He just knows we'll be talking about him. It's so funny!"

"I knew it!" came a huffy voice from behind. "I _knew_ you were going to be talking about us!"

Kari swivelled round to see TK, Daisuke and Cody standing behind them, all holding lunch trays and all wearing equally frustrated looks. "Talking about you?" she said innocently in a sugary-sweet voice. "Whoever said that? Yolei, do you know what he'sgoing onabout?"

"No," Yolei said coolly, picking at her Caesar Salad. "I have absolutely no idea. Why don't you boys sit down instead of standing around, hm?"

Davis pulled out a chair and set down his tray sulkily, eyeing Kari. "Well, just as long as you don't get any ideas about inviting Ju-"

"Hey, isn't that Matt, Tai and Sora?" Yolei interrupted, peering behind him. "What's going on? They're following her around like lost puppies." Glancing over the lunchroom, Kari saw Sora storm over to them, fending off Tai and Matt on the way.

"For the last time, DROP IT, you two!" Sora marched over to the table, flinging herself into a seat and giving a long sigh.

"Well then, tell us!" Tai insisted.

"You're so paranoid!" Sora laughed. "What makes you think we'll even bring you up? We do have better things to talk about, you know!"

"Thanks a lot, _dude_!" Matt gave her a mock glare.

"You know what I mean." Sora took a huge bite of lasagne. "Hey Kari, Yolei, TK, Daisuke, Cody…" She looked around. "Any more?"

"Nope, Mimi's with her other friends today," Kari told her as Matt and Tai sat down. She waved across the room at Mimi, who gave them a smile and waved back. "Hey Izzy, Joe," she smiled as the two walked over and sat down. "Good day?"

"Not bad," said Joe, slinging his jacket over a chair, "but Izzy's having a worse time." He raised an eyebrow as Izzy promptly flopped over the table, burying his face in his arms and not looking up.

"Izzy…?" Yolei said timidly, leaning over to peer at him. "Are you ok?"

"My life is over." The voice was muffled through the layers of shirt and jacket. Yolei looked up at Joe with worried curiosity.

"He got a B on a test," Joe said by way of explanation, reaching over the table with a fork and stealing some of Sora's lasagne.

"Is that it?" Tai laughed. "I thought somebody died or something! Talk about overreacting!"

"And you'd know all about overreacting now, wouldn't you Tai?" Sora quipped, ducking from the lettuce-leaf he threw at her. "Izzy's grades are very important to him."

"It's not just that," Joe whispered dramatically. "He's worried about his social life…"

Izzy emerged from his cocoon and glared at Joe. "Of course I'm not, you idiot. I have friends, loads of them. Somebody spoke to me only yesterday. And it was Tuesday or the day before when Matt bumped into me and said "Damn!" The Social Round. Always something Going On."

Sora tried to cover her laughter. Kari put her hand over her mouth.

"Of course, I didget a phone-call from Yolei yesterday," Izzy continued sourly, "but she's the only one, unless you count Tai ringing to moan at me. I don't-"

"Oh, did I mention?" Sora interrupted, looking at Kari and Yolei. "I asked Jun if she'd like to come with us, and she said she'd love to."

"NOOOOOOO!" Daisuke wailed. "No! Why Jun? Why _her_? Why must you torture me so!"

"Calm down, Dai!" yelled Kari. "You're acting like we've ordered your execution! Besides, it's gotnothing to do with you."

"Yes it has! Do you _know_ what she's going to say about me? You'll never look at me the same way again!"

Matt was, for thethird time that week, convulsed in laughter.

"I wouldn't be so happy if I were you, Matt!" Daisuke spat. "Just think what they'll be telling Jun about you! How to get backstage at your gigs… where you keep your spare house-key…"

"AS – I – WAS – SAYING," Izzy said loudly and sternly as Matt stopped laughing and went pale, "as I was saying before I was interrupted by various Loud Sounds…"

"Sorry, Izzy," Kari giggled. "Go on."

"As I was saying - my ultimate cause of crippling depression is that there's no way in hell I'm going to be able to get a date for the half-term dance." Izzy announced gloomily.

"None of us have yet," TK pointed out, cramming a burger into his mouth.

Izzy sighed. "Yes, but TK, dear TK, I'm afraid you are missing the point. You'll have no trouble getting a date. Girls are always falling at your feet. This is something that just doesn't _happen_ to people like me."

"Oh, don't be silly, Izzy!" Kari scoffed. "There'll be loads of girls who'll want to go with you!"

"Name one."

Kari opened her mouth and looked awkwardly at Yolei, who promptly gave her a deathglare. She shut it with a snap.

"See?" Izzy challenged. "There's no-one. I don't know if I'll even go."

"Aw, c'mon Iz!" cajoled Yolei. "You'll have a good time whoever you go with! You don't have to have a date – we can all go in a big group, if you want. You're not unpopular. Hey, us girls were talking just the other day about how nice you are!"

"You were?" Matt raised his eyebrows.

"Ah," said Izzy glumly, "very quaint, but surely misheard. Don't try to cheer me up. Don't worry about me, don't think about bringing me back anything from the dance. I expect someone may turn up trumps and sent down the odd bits that got trodden on. Kind and Thoughtful. Don't mention it."

Sora burst into laughter. "Izzy! Have you been reading _Eeyore's Little Book of Gloom_ again?"

Izzy sunk back into his cocoon of jacket. "Yes," came the muffled reply, "it feeds my depression. Just to think about the fun you'll be having. It waxes fat on my isolation."

The entire group was laughing to hard to speak. "Jesus Izzy…" Matt gasped. "You crack me up, dude, you really do!"

"Glad to be of help," came the muffled reply.

"Sorry…" Matt apologised weakly.

"No, don't mention it. Go ahead. Enjoy yourself."

"I am," said Matt.

"Some can," said Izzy.

* * *

"Two… three… four…"

"Tell me."

"No… five… six…"

"I'll buy you a new tennis ball."

Sora propped herself up on her elbow. "A new tennis ball? What kind of offer is that?" She looked back up at the blue sky, shading her eyes with her hand. "Seven… eight… nine. Nine tiny clouds in the sky. They look like mini marshmallows, don't they?" She smiled and flopped back onto the grass. "It feels like I could just take one out of the sky and eat it."

Tai laughed. "You're a nut, Sora Takenouchi."

"Yeah. I am."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Sora looked over at him. "You wouldn't?"

"Why would I?" Tai pulled out a few strands of grass and watched them flutter from his fingers. "You've always been a nut. No reason to change now."

"But you like me being a nut?"

"If you weren't, you wouldn't be as interesting."

"Lucky it's already hot today, I haven't blushed so much since TK told me he liked my new earmuffs."

Tai threw a handful of grass at her playfully. "I'm serious! You're on my wavelength. I guess that's why we get on so well. You're like another guy to me."

Sora sighed. Here it was again. Why didn't anybody think of her as female? "Another guy? Don't you ever look at me as a girl, too?"

Tai frowned, blushing a little. "What- you mean as a- a- in a way that's… I don't know, in a romantic-"

"No!" Sora said quickly, laughing a little. She'd forgotten how hopeless Tai could be when it came to discussing romance. "I just meant, don't you ever see me as a girl you get on really well with, instead of a girl-guy hybrid?"

Tai chuckled, relieved, but his cheeks were still tinged with pink. "Well… It's hard to explain. Obviously I know you're a girl, but that never seems to be an issue."

Sora raised an eyebrow, not sure how to interpret him. "Oh, _thanks_…"

"I don't mean it like that! What I mean is……" Tai struggled to find the words. "What I mean is that when we're together, it doesn't matter who's a guy and who's a girl, we get on and that's all that matters. I guess what sets you apart from other girls I know is the way I can be totally relaxed around you, I don't have to always watch what I say, if I tease you about being fat or your clothes or anything, you tease me back and we can just have a laugh about it. If I said those things to someone like Mimi, I'd be in for some serious trouble." Tai ran his fingers through the soft grass, his features thoughtful.

"I've never really thought about it before, but that's kind of what makes you special next to other girls. I don't have to be on edge or try to be cool or say the right things." He laughed suddenly. "It doesn't matter, because half the time you know what I'm going to say anyway. You're Sora and I'm Tai, and we're best friends, and it doesn't matter if you're girly or not. You're just Sora to me, and I don't care about anything else."

Sora couldn't speak. She was lost for words. "I– well- thanks," she stuttered, incredibly flattered. When had Tai last talked about her like this? She couldn't even remember.

Tai looked a little shy, obviously wondering where his little outburst had come from. He looked at his watch. "Well, I better get back into school. Fujiyama-sensei gave me a detention for screwing up my economics homework." He hovered for a second, his chocolate eyes holding an unrecognisable expression, before wavering forward and giving her a clumsy hug. "Ring ya later, dude." And with that, he stood up and ambled across the field.

Sora sat perfectly still, staring after him, her mouth hanging open in shock.

* * *

Not many lights could be seen in the Ishida residence. From outside, the only thing illuminating the living room was the flickering, bluish glow of the TV set, but no-one was watching it.

Malcolm Ishida was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as the kettle boiled. Tea, he mused to himself, was about the only thing he could make without it burning, being undercooked, oddly flavoured or turning out a strangely delicate shade of primrose. He left the cooking to Matt – at least he enjoyed it, and was quite gifted at it to boot. :A relic of Nancy: he thought to himself. :She was a fantastic cook.:

The kettle sent up a tiny jet of steam and the switch made a quiet _snap_ as it clicked off. Pouring out the tea, Malcolm took a sip from his mug and picked up the other one before leaving the kitchen in darkness and heading to the basement.

The door was slightly ajar. Bits and pieces of guitar tunes wandered up the stairs, mingled every now and again with the sound of his son's voice, softly singing as he tested out his newly-written lyrics. Malcolm paused, taking a minute to listen. Cooking, singing, playing instruments, writing songs… Matt definitely had a talent when it came to the arts. He'd have to encourage him see what he could do with a paintbox one of these days. Malcolm smiled involuntarily as he heard his son play a wrong note, curse quietly and start the line over again. _He sounds just like his old man_, he thought fondly.

Pushing open the door and descending down the steps, he saw the familiar figure sitting on the amp bent avidly over his red guitar, blond hair flopping over his cat-like blue eyes, slender fingers strumming gently on the strings, concentration etched into the porcelain-pale features. Hearing him approach, Matt looked up at his father and gave a vague grin.

"Hey, Dad."

"How's the composition going?" Malcolm asked, handing him the mug of tea, which he accepted gratefully.

"Not as well as I want it to go," Matt admitted, alternately sipping and blowing on his tea to cool it. "The lyrics just aren't working. S'pose I'm kind of stressed."

"Why's that?" Malcolm inquired, leaning against the wall in a posture remarkably like his son's. "Anything bothering you?"

"Well, for a start, I'm playing at the half-term dance, and I still haven't got this song right, and it's in two days," Matt said, frowning. "And then there's…" he trailed off.

"What?"

"I don't know, dad..."

"C'mon son, spill. Whatever it is, I bet I did something worse."

Matt couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sure that's not what they tell you to say to your children in _Psychology Today._"

Malcolm caught his mood, and grinned. "To hell with _Psychology Today_. But don't tell your mother I said that. Come on, Matt, tell me what's bothering you."

Matt chewed his lip, fiddling with his guitar strap. "Wellll…when you were my age… did you ever feel like you weren't ever gonna find someone who really understood you? Someone who you can say was a really, really good friend? Maybe more?"

Malcolm was silent for a minute. So that was it. Matt was lonely.

"Dad?"

"Sorry. Ok, all I can tell you is; before you start searching frantically for the living version of an image in your head you think is the perfect partner – look harder at the people you're already close to. That person you're hunting for could be right under your nose."

Matt looked pensive for a second. Then he nodded. "Yeah… but what I really want, above everything else, is to tell someone – you know… about me – what I am…"

So that was it too. Matt wanted to get off his chest what he had so far only confided in his father about. "You mean tell your friends you're bi?" Malcolm asked gently.

Matt nodded again, his eyes to the floor.

Malcolm left the wall to sit on the amp by his son. "Matt, promise me that whoever you tell and whatever their reaction, you won't ever be ashamed of yourself and what you are. Ok?"

"Yeah…" Matt's voice was uncertain.

"Well, let's look at it another way. Who would you like to tell?"

Matt thought for a second. "Well, TK, of course. I'm not to worried about telling him, I don't think he'll be bothered. I'd like all the gang to know – when they do, and if they're ok about it, I can finally relax and be myself practically all the time."

"I see. And who out of those people do you trust most, who'd be likely to give you the most support?"

"Well, I know they'd all at least try and support me," Matt said decisively. _Loyal as ever,_ Malcolm smiled to himself. "But I think I'd most like to tell… I mean, the person I'd like to know…"

Malcolm took his best shot. "Taichi?"

"And Sora." Matt nodded, more to himself than anyone else. "I want Tai and Sora to know more than anyone else. They're my best friends out of all of them, and I know they'd be ok with it."

"Then you should tell them," Malcolm advised. "The sooner you get it off your chest, the sooner you can stop treading on eggshells around people. Just do it in the right time and place, that's all. Make sure it's private. They're good kids, Tai and Sora, I think you're judgement's pretty sound on this one."

Matt looked up at his father, his clear eyes showing his gratitude. "Thanks, Dad."

Malcolm stood up, clapping his son on the shoulder. "No problem. You know where I am."

"Most of the time," Matt joked, slinging the guitar strap back over his shoulders and flicking the amp on.

Malcolm chuckled as he climbed back up the basement stairs, the sound of his son's singing and soft strumming following him up into the house.

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** I couldn't resist putting a Malcolm/Matt chit-chat scene in. By the way - a word to Tani, who read and reviewed all my fics really nicely. Thanks, Tani! (_showers Tani and the other reviewers with sherbet)_ Chapter 6 up soon, and chapter 7 straight after it, because 6 is only about one page long. 

xxxxxxxxxxx


	7. Chapter 6 Saturday!

**Rumpleteasza:** Good evening, bebs! More comments to answer. Makes me feel All special, like. Right, Sapphire Angel and Hailz... No Mimato. I'm sorry, I like to please readers, and thank you so much for reviewing, but... (_winces)_ I won't say what I think of Mimato because I'll get flamed. Charger26, no fear, there will be Takari. 13, Kali, DramaQueenie: I'm not saying whether it's Taiora, Sorato or Taito, purely because I am in a contrary mood and it might ruin the suspense. But I can safely say that there are bits of all three to come thrown in around the place. To all the rest of you, You're obviously excellent people, and if I was Gimli I'd tell you that I hoped your beard would never grow thin etc., but as I'd guess most of you are teenaged girls, you might actually find that a bit offensive.

That said, enjoy.

Xxxxxxx

* * *

Chapter Six – Saturday!

Mimi stirred and yawned, the morning sunlight filtering through her gauzy pink curtains. For a moment she lay there, drowsy and warm. Then her eyes flew wide open and she bolted upright in the bed.

"It's Saturday!"

"Mimi, honey?" Mrs Tachikawa called through the door. "Are you ok?"

The duvet was floundered aside in a whirl of pastel colour. Mrs Tachikawa got an impression of the door being flung open and a blur of pink throwing its arms around her neck.

"It's Saturday! It's Saturday!" Mimi shrieked, near-throttling her mother before whisking downstairs in her marshmallow pyjamas to the kitchen. Mrs Tachikawa stared after her.

"But…" she murmured to herself, confused. She looked at her watch. It was 8:10.

"But… there's no school on Saturday…"

* * *

"Ok, men!" Tai yelled. In the distance, a squadron of military drums could be heard. "Move out!" 

"Where are those drums coming from?" Asked TK, looking around warily.

Tai ignored him. "This is it, men! Our most important covert operation to date! 'Operation Girly Day Out'!"

"Tai?" asked Izzy, plucking at his shirt. "I wholeheartedly applaud your enthusiasm, but do we really have to wear camouflage suits?"

"Yes!" Tai snapped. "Do you want them to see us or not? If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right. Any questions?"

"Yeah, plenty," Joe grumbled. "How come you couldn't at least get them in cotton? I'm allergic to polyester."

"Aren't these suits going to make us even more conspicuous?" Matt pointed out. "We're in a city, not up a mountain."

Tai made an impatient noise in the back of his throat. "Just go with it, guys. Now let's move out! Destination – The Mall!"

* * *

Humming softly, Mimi stood in front of the mirror in the hallway, putting the finishing touches to her hair and makeup. Satisfied, she stepped back and surveyed herself. "Perfect…" 

The doorbell rang. Mimi let out a high pitched squeal and bolted for the front door, tugging it open to reveal four figures standing there.

"Mimi!" Yolei screeched.

The group dissolved into a giggling, screaming mass as the girls greeted eachother in the traditional way – ie. ear-shattering squeals and excited jumping.

"Hey, Jun, you made it!" Mimi beamed.

"Thanks somuch for inviting me!" Jun gushed. "You guys are the best! This is going to be so cool!"

"I know!" Mimi cried. "We're going to have, like, the best time!"

The squealing began again.

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** Oh, GOD... when I was typing Mimi's mum sayin _"But... there's no school on Saturday..."_ I just couldn't get the image of that Father Ted episode with Bishop Brennan and the rabbits out of my head. Where Ted thinks the rabbits are in the room, and tries to keep Len out by saying he needs to go to the toilet in there... and when Len finally goes in and shuts the door, he looks around with a really spooked expression and says quietly; _"But... there's no toilet in here..."_

I've sprayed tea all over my keyboard now. Thanks a lot, Len.


	8. Chapter 7 Shopping

**Rumpleteasza:** Hehe, now the REAL fun begins... beware of Jun Motomiya being treated LIKE A PERSON for a change. (_shocked face)_ No! Surely, you jest! But no, I kid you not, I'm taking her seriously. Of course Jun IS annoying, but she's still a person. I respect a girl who never gives up. I worry for her sanity, yes, but I still respect her in a twisted sort of way.

Xxxxx

* * *

Chapter Seven – Shopping

"And now we see the fascinating socialisation habits of the female of the species," Joe said in a hushed voice. "Note how bizarre and artificial hair-colour is used to outstand the crowd, presumably to attract suitable males. The behaviour of the females advancing as a pack, holding hands, is a widely-used technique causing the intimidation of lesser individuals, and the affirmation of territory is obtained by making their presence known with squeals, giggles and hugs, also useful for pack bonding-"

"Joe!" Tai hissed. "Stop the narration already! You're not taking this seriously!"

Daisuke peered through the shop window as Kari held a tiny, baby-blue halterneck dress against herself, Mimi nodding her head approvingly. Daisuke's mouth involuntarily formed and 'Oooh' shape. "Oh yeah, Kari, go on, try it on, come on…"

"Daisuke!" Tai spat, clouting him round the head. "That's my _sister_ you're talking about!"

"Sorry," Daisuke apologised sheepishly, rubbing his head.

"Hey, dude," Matt interjected, looking over his shoulder into the crowded mall. Shoppers were looking curiously at them as they passed. "We're getting a lot of funny looks. I knew these suits weren't a good idea…"

"Oh, stop complaining!" Tai said crossly.

"Guys!" Cody said suddenly. "Guys, they're coming this way!"

They swung round to look through the window. The girls had replaced Kari's dress and were walking towards the exit – straight towards the boys.

"Run for it!" TK whispered urgently.

* * *

"What was that?" Kari said suddenly, looking curiously towards the escalator.

"What was what?" asked Sora, following Kari's gaze.

"Thought I saw my brother's big hair." Kari shook her head. "Never mind. It must have been someone else."

"Two people with hair like Tai's?" Mimi exclaimed, looking horrified. "I hope not!"

Yolei giggled. "Rather Tai than Matt. I bet he uses a whole tub of gel every day."

Jun's eyes grew big and sparkly. "It's worth it, though… for the end result…"

"Know what I've wanted to do for years?" Sora said mischievously.

"What?"

Sora grinned impishly. "Get a strand of his hair and twist it," she said. "Just to see if it snaps."

"Sora!" Jun squealed, scandalised, dissolving into giggles.

"Know what I'dlike to do?" Kari said with a devilish smile.

"What?"

"Hide those goggles and see who goes craziest – Daisuke or Tai!"

The girls caught another fit of the giggles as they walked into the next shop.

* * *

"What's wrong with my hair?" Tai huffed.

"I don't use an entire tub of gel per day!" Matt said, enraged. "I use _three-quarters_ of a tub per day! And my hair most definitely would _not_ snap!" He grabbed a strand of honey-blond hair and tugged. "See?- oh," he said as the strand broke off in his hand.

"Schweet!" TK said, looking as if his birthday had come early. "Watch out, big bro. Next time you tick me off, I'll go for the hair."

"You _dare_!" Matt snarled at him.

"Hey!" Joe exclaimed. "Where'd they go? We lost 'em!"

"No way!" Daisuke moaned, casting anxiously around. "How are we gonna find them again in this jungle?"

"Damn," Tai groaned. "They could be anywhere!"

"Not necessarily," Izzy said, thoughtfully, checking a map of the mall by a huge potted plant nestling by the escalator. It says on here that there are two other women's clothes shops around here – Topshop and Lipsy. So they're bound to be in one of them."

"Nice work, Izzy!" Tai praised. "Ok gang – which one first?"

"Lipsy's Mimi's favourite shop," Joe offered helpfully. "Maybe they went there first."

"Brilliant!" Tai crowed. "Let's get going!" Then he stopped, frowning. "Hey, Joe, how did you know what Mimi's favourite shop was?"

Joe turned a rather worrying shade of magenta. "Oh, well, I-"

"You haven't been shopping with her, have you?" Matt inquired suspiciously, a look of horror on his face.

"Um- well………"

"Duuuude," TK said, screwing up his face.

"Freak," Daisuke muttered.

"Oh, shut up," Joe shot back at them.

* * *

"Oh Sora, that crimson is _perfect_ on you!" Jun exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Yeah, it really looks like they made that dress just for you," Kari said admiringly.

Mimi cast an experienced, critical eye over Sora. "I have to say, they're right," she concluded. "You're not going to find a better dress than that. You should totally buy it."

Sora beamed, smoothing the silky fabric with her fingers. "You think so?"

"Definitely," Yolei declared. "How much is it?"

"It's in the sale," Sora said happily.

"So that's Sora's, Yolei's and my dresses we've got so far," Mimi said, ticking them off on her fingers. "Which means we still have to get yours and Jun's, Kari."

"I liked that light blue halterneck I saw at the very beginning," Kari told her. "I'd like to go back and get it."

"Which means we only have yours to look for yours, Jun," Yolei said, "and then we'll head for the Café Samba."

"I don't know if I'm ever going to find anything," Jun sighed.

"Hey, don't worry," Mimi said with a smile. "As long as I'm around, we won't give up until we've found you the perfect outfit. You'll knock Matt off his feet tonight."

Jun raised her eyebrows. "I doubt it."

"You will!" Mimi said firmly, taking her arm and following Sora to the cash register. "Positivism, Jun! Positivism!"

* * *

"Knock Matt off his feet?" Matt said in disgust. "Matt will never be knocked off his feet by Jun. Matt has some standards."

"Uh – Matt?"

"What, TK?"

"Why are you talking about yourself in the third person?"

Matt was silent for a second. "Well – can we get something to eat? I'm starving."

"Yeah!" Daisuke whined. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"That was only a couple of hours ago, Dai," Cody reminded him.

"Exactly."

"So shall we go for a burger or something?" Joe suggested.

"We have to keep them in sight, ok?" Tai said in annoyance. "We'll eat when they eat. Hey, look, they're heading out again."

Daisuke's stomach rumbled loudly.

"Hey, keep it down!" Tai hissed, glaring at Daisuke's middle. "They'll hear you!"

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:-**D

xxxx


	9. Chapter 8 Doing Lunch

**Rumpleteasza:** Why are all my chapters so short? I hadn't realised before I started posting them. I see a few bright sparks noticed the Harry Potter line I snuck in... Well done! You win... er... nothing. But top marks for observational skills. Thanks as always to the regular reviewers - Tani, Enchantress, Itsumade... any more? Anyhow, Babydragon - don't worry. This won't be a Junato. I'm just treating Jun humanly, that's all. Daisuke's Girl... no Daikari. Sorry! But Dai isn't left out in the cold, I can tell you that. However tacky his rescue may be.

Keep you wondering. You plot-wenches.

:-D xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

* * *

Chapter Eight – Doing Lunch

The four girls collapsed round a table in the Café Samba, laden with shopping bags.

"Dresses, shoes and accessories for all of us, and all of them in the sales!" Mimi said happily, surveying their bags. "A pretty successful morning, ne?"

"Totally," Kari grinned, reaching for a menu and scanning it quickly. "I can't wait for tonight."

"I can't believe I bought this dress!" Jun gasped, peeking in the bag. "It's way too daring for me! I can't wear it!"

"Of course you can, Jun!" Sora encouraged. "Don't be shy! I haven't worn a dress in years, but I've just gone out and bought this one!"

"It's all about attitude," Mimi said, flipping her silky hair over her shoulder. "If you feel great, you'll look great. Just think – 'I am Jun. I am beautiful. I am Jun. I am beautiful'."

"I am Jun… I am beautiful…" Jun repeated uncertainly.

"No!" interrupted Yolei. "You have to say it as if you _mean_ it!"

Jun narrowed her eyes. She held up her head proudly. "I am Jun, I am beautiful!"

"Yeah!" Mimi applauded. "Now, go on, scream it out!"

Jun took a deep breath, her eyes glowing. "I am Jun! I am BEAUTIFUL!"

The restaurant went silent as people turned to stare.

"What are you looking at?" Mimi glowered at the rest of the customers.

Activity slowly resumed its normal pace.

"See?" Mimi said excitedly to Jun. "Do you feel any more confident?"

"Yeah!" Jun smiled, giving the others an appreciative look. "Thanks, you guys, you're the best!"

"Hey, don't mention it," Kari grinned.

"Are you ready to order?" Asked a young, good-looking waiter, approaching their table.

"Sure," Mimi smiled. "We'll have five cokes, please."

"And your food…?"

"Well…" Mimi picked up her menu. "What would you recommend?" she asked flirtatiously, playing with a strand of pink hair.

The waiter blushed. "Well – uh – you could try the prawn cocktail special with Marie-Rose sauce," he suggested shyly.

"Is there something low-fat I could get?" Yolei put in, her voice sugary. "I want to be able to fit into my dress…" She smoothed her top, showing off her tiny waist.

The waiter went even pinker. "Oh, well-"

"Could you bring us a list of recommendations?" Kari simpered, crossing her legs so they peeped out from under the table.

"I'm sure you'd know all the best dishes," Sora said, smiling sweetly and fingering the strap of her bag playfully.

The waiter stared at them, his eyes a little glazed. "I-"

Mimiwinked at Jun, a mischievous smile on her face. Jun understood and turned to the waiter, resting her chin on her hand. "Would you be a honey and add some extra ice in my drink?" she asked, winking at him. "It's… a little hot in here…"

The waiter went the colour of Sora's hair. "Sure – I'll – I'll just get a specials list…" he stuttered, almost tripping over a chair on his way back to the kitchens.

The girls burst out laughing.

"Oh Jun, that was perfect!" Yolei gasped. "'It's a little hot in here…' Did you _see_ his face?"

The girls high-fived eachother before dissolving into giggles once again.

* * *

The boys were crouched outside the Café Samba's window, close enough to hear what was going on inside, eating hot dogs from a street vendor.

"Did you see what they just did to that poor waiter?" Joe said incredulously.

"A pack of cats," Izzy said darkly.

Matt was sniggering. "'I am Jun. I am beautiful'. Yeah, right. And the Pope hates Catholics."

"Don't be too hard on her, Matt," TK said quietly. "She's a little sensitive, you of all people know that."

Matt stared. "What's with you, TK? She's a repellent, irritating, stalking nightmare, and has been since the moment I met her."

"Don't be mean," TK shot back at him. He looked over at Daisuke. "C'mon Dai, back me up! She's _your_ sister!"

"Don't look at me," Daisuke shrugged. "I agree with Matt!"

TK sighed in annoyance and stuffed the rest of his hot dog in his mouth before turning back to the window.

* * *


	10. Chapter 9 Lollipops Again

Chapter Nine – Lollipops again

"Budge up," TK complained, shoving Daisuke out of his space by the sauna wall.

"Well, if you'd just keep your big feet to yourself-"

"Both of you, shut up!" Tai hissed. "If we get caught in here, we'll be dead meat!"

The boys were huddled in a group in the women's changing rooms outside the wooden wall of the sauna, their ears pressed to the boards to hear what was being said inside. If anyone came in and saw them, they'd probably get kicked out of the building.

"Uh, don't you think we shouldn't be in here?" Cody asked doubtfully.

"The probability of our being caught is extremely high," Izzy whispered, looking around fervently.

"Well, that's why we're gonna have to be extra quiet-" Tai broke off as they all heard the same thing – the sound of a door opening.

"Quick!" he whispered frantically. He swung open the nearest door and darted in, closing it softly after everyone was inside.

Footsteps sounded throughout the room but receded quickly, along with the sound of the door closing again.

Joe let out a long breath. "Phew, that was close."

"Uh – guys…" Izzy said behind them. His voice sounded slightly odd.

"What is it, Izzy?" Tai asked, turning round.

And then they saw where they were.

"Duuuude…" Matt said in a strangled voice. "I really, _really_ do not want to be in here…"

They were in the women's toilets.

* * *

"Oooooh…" Sora sighed, resting her head on the hot wooden boards of the steamy sauna. "Why haven't I discovered these before?" 

Mimi adjusted her towel and leaned back against the wall. "I've gotta convince Mama to put one of these in our house."

"When you do, think how fantastic sleepovers at your place'll be, Mimi!" giggled Yolei. "You'll never get rid of us!"

"You know, I bet they boys would really love this," Kari commented. "TK's always going on about how achy he gets after basketball practice. A couple of these places in the school gym and bingo! Problem solved."

"Matt wouldn't like it," Sora mused. "It'd make his gel melt."

Yolei started giggling, infecting Mimi, too. Soon all the girls were laughing.

"I've never seen Matt with flat hair!" Yolei said. "I bet he looks really weird."

"Hey Jun, you've only mentioned Matt once throughout the whole day," Mimi said with interest. "I'd thought you'd be pumping us for information."

Jun blushed. "Well, I wouldn't want you to think that was the only reason I came along. Which it wasn't," she added hastily.

Sora nodded. "We know you didn't," she told her. "But since we're on the subject, is there anything you really, really want to know about him?"

"Yeah, c'mon, give us an excuse to dish the dirt!" Mimi leant forward excitedly.

"Well…" Jun chewed her lip, beginning to grin. "I… I always wanted to know…"

"What?" Kari asked, shifting into a more comfortable position.

Jun cocked her head to one side. "Is there anything really, really embarrassing you've ever seen him do? Something totally cringeworthy?"

"I'm impressed," Mimi said approvingly. "I thought you'd ask what kind of girl he likes, what personality…"

"I already know that," Jun interrupted. "Not me."

Mimi fell silent, unable to think of anything to say.

Jun shrugged. "It's ok. I'm getting used to it."

"I'm sure that's not true, Jun," Sora said softly, giving her a comforting squeeze.

"You know it is. Hey, don't worry about it, ok?" Jun gave a weak smile. "You haven't answered my question yet."

"Well," Sora said, suddenly grinning like a dervish, "None of the rest of you know this, but me and Tai once found him with a lollipop, trying to…"

* * *

Having gotten out of the toilets faster than Mimi away from Numemon, the boys were again huddled against the sauna wall listening carefully to the girls' conversation. 

Everyone turned to stare at Matt, whose normally pale features had turned bright red.

"You did _what_ with a lollipop?" said TK disbelievingly.

"Dude," Daisuke exclaimed, screwing up his face. "That's pretty -_beep- _ed up."

"Is that even possible?" Izzy queried, frowning.

"Well, maybe if it's small–" Joe began.

"Shut up!" Matt spat. "I never did that, ever!"

"Yeah you did," Tai guffawed. "I was the one that caught you, remember?"

"Shut up," Matt repeated, scarlet. "I never did anything like that. Never. Ok?"

"Ok, Matt," TK said, tears forming in his eyes through the effort of keeping down his laughter. "Whatever you say."

The entire group apart from Matt burst into silent hysterics, tears streaming down their cheeks.

* * *

"Ew," Mimi exclaimed, her hand over her mouth. 

"I will never look at him the same way again," declared Jun, lost for words.

"You're not kidding," Yolei said emphatically.

"Totally," Kari agreed, wrinkling her nose.

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** (_giggling fit)_ Ok! Mini competition! C'mon, you people, I'm dying to hear your ideas of what Matt did with the lollipop. Most original/ disgusting/humorous suggestions win... um... Izzy's soul! 

**Koushiro:** (_offscreen)_ HEY!

**Rumpleteasza:** Shut it, minion, you know you love it really.

**Koushiro:** -_beep-_ you.

**Rumpleteasza:** You love it! You slaaaag!

**Koushiro:** …

**Rumpleteasza:** … right. Next chapter, then.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx


	11. Chapter 10 Hairdresser's Gossip

**Rumpleteasza:** Evening, chickies. How's everyone tonight? Love to the reviewers as always - special shout to Enchantress, Kali and Wolfie and of course Tani, who are obviously excellent people and should be sent full sherbet supplies daily. Also a note to Itsumade, who I am almost positive is actually my good friend Sim in the cunning disguise of... a web-person! Come out, Sim, I know you're there! Of course if I'm wrong, just ignore that. Sorry.

Thanks for all your, er, unique suggestions of Matt's lollipop embarrassment... especially impressed by Kali's idea. 'Maybe he tried to... from behind...?' Quality response there! Also liked the 'impromptu hair gel' suggestion, thanks Wolfie... !

Xxxxxx

* * *

Chapter Ten – Hairdresser's Gossip

"Tip your head back, honey, that's it," the hairdresser intoned, swiftly and professionally gathering up Sora's hair and analysing it. "It's a formal Ball then, this dance?"

"Yeah," Sora replied nervously as the hairdresser, a pretty young woman who gloried in the name of Amber and who had obviously coloured her lips, nails and hair to match, started to run a basinful of warm water. _This is kind of scary_, she thought to herself. She'd never been in a hairdresser's like this before. Toni & Guy was a huge, spacious salon covered in modern art and sculptures, smelling like fruity shampoo and playing the latest music. It was a totally new experience for Sora, who usually either went to a tiny shop round the corner to have her hair trimmed or, if her mother wasn't busy, she'd cut her daughter's hair herself.

Sora, Mimi, Kari, Yolei and Jun were all seated in a row in from of the huge mirror lining the inside wall of the salon, all being tended to by their respective hairdressers. Mimi was talking animatedly to her hairdresser over a book of styles. Jun's hairdresser was staring critically at her, no doubt wondering how to tame her mass of bushy, spiky red hair.

"Ok, hon," said Amber, turning away from the basin and pulling out a thick picture book of styles and colours, depositing it on the table in front of Sora. "What sort of style did you want to go for? Do you have anything particular in mind? And what about colouring?"

"Well…" Sora licked her dry lips. "I'm – I'm not really sure. I usually look really plain, but that's not right for the dance. I was hoping you could just give me any style that would make me look great."

Amber beamed. "You're giving me free reign? Great!" She caught Sora's terrified look and laughed. "Don't worry, hon, I won't turn you into a monster. If don't like the cut I'm doing, or the colour, then by all means tell me to stop and we'll try something else. I'm not going to change the length, I think – it suits you, and if we go any shorter you'll have nothing left to play around with."

"Ok," Sora said, relieved.

"Now," Amber said, pulling the style book towards them and fingering a strand of Sora's hair expertly. "Your natural colour's nice, so we won't give you a different one – how about using a serum to make it shinier and more vibrant? Warm hair colours like red are very now," she said, tossing her auburn mane over her shoulder proudly.

"Go for it," Sora said, leaning back into her chair and closing her eyes.

Amber clapped her hands, surveying Sora's hair with a delighted look on her face.

* * *

The boys had temporarily abandoned their stalking, as Toni & Guy was way too big and out in the open for them to peer into for hours without being noticed. They were now all seated around a large table in Burger King, tucking in happily for the second time that day.

"Well, I don't care how good Toni & Guy are meant to be," Daisuke said flatly, "they will never be able to flatten my sister's rat's nest hair. If you can even call it hair," he added.

"I dunno, Daisuke." Joe raised his eyebrows. "Mimi's always going on about the hairdressers there, only she calls them 'miracle workers'."

"They must be, if they can do anything about Jun's hair," Matt said pettily.

Izzy leaned over the table. "Where are they due next, Tai?"

"Megami's Beauty Parlour," Tai read of his list. "That should be pretty easy, it's a small place, out of the town centre. We'll be able to sneak round there easy."

"I hope so," Cody said doubtfully. "That experience in the gym is not one I want to repeat."

Matt yawned. Tai frowned, looking at his watch. "Not tired already, Matt? It's only 3:51! And you'll be up late tonight for the dance!"

"Yeah, I know, I stayed up late last night practising my songs, and-" suddenly Matt broke off, his eyes growing wide. "Oh, shit! What time did you say it was?"

"3:51 – no wait, 3:52 now," Tai said. "What's up, dude?"

"3:52!" Matt groaned, grabbing his stuff and shoving back his chair. "How could I have forgotten? I have band practice for the dance tonight! I gotta go!"

Tai looked incredulous. "What, and miss the rest of Operation Girly Day Out?"

"Sorry man," Matt said hastily, "but the guys are gonna kill me."

"What time does practice start?" Joe asked.

"3:30."

"Oh."

"Seeya, guys!" Matt yelled back at them before disappearing off into the crowd.

"Well," Izzy said finally. "One down, six to go. Tai, shouldn't we get going if we want to get to Megami's in time for the girl's makeover?"

Tai cursed quietly. "Damn, it starts at 4:00, I forgot. C'mon, guys."

"But I haven't finished my fries!" Daisuke whined.

"Take 'em with you, then," Tai snapped. "Right, men!" he said briskly. "Move out!"

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** Yet another shortie, and I'll compensate by posting another today. You know, I haven't actually finished this fic, and I'm posting it waaaay faster than I'm writing it... oops. Better shift my ass into gear. 


	12. Chapter 11 Makeovers And Manicures

**Rumpleteasza:** You'll never want to touch Daisuke again after this. I _promise_.

* * *

Chapter Eleven – Makeovers And Manicures

"I don't believe it!" Kari squealed as the girls walked out of Toni & Guy. "Look at you, Jun! You're like a different person!"

Jun was glowing with pride. "I know!" she gushed. "I can hardly believe it myself!"

"That salon was incredible!" Sora said in awe, pulling a strand of her hair forward and examining it. "This cut is perfect, it falls in all the right places! Amber really lived up to her word!"

"Short hair is great, but I wouldn't trade long hair for anything,right Yolei?" Mimi said happily. "So much more to do stuff with. I love this style."

"Me too!" Yolei said rapturously, feeling her shining hair gingerly. "I'm afraid to touch it in case I mess it up!"

"Don't worry," Mimi reassured her. "They style it so it lasts, as well as looking good."

"A bit pricey, though," Sora admitted.

"But boy, was it worth it!" declared Jun.

The five girls giggled as they joined hands and walked through the town centre to Megami's.

* * *

The boys stood, not even bothering to hide themselves, open-mouthed as Mimi and the others sashayed past. Incredibly, the girls didn't notice them.

"Sweet holy mother of god!" Daisuke gasped, gobsmacked. "Look at her! _Look_ at her! That is _not_ my sister! That _cannot_ be Jun!"

"Wow, Mimi wasn't kidding when she said they were miracle workers," Joe said, impressed.

"Christ, I wish Matt could see this," said TK, wide-eyed.

"He will," Tai said maliciously, "tonight at the dance. I can't _wait_ to see his face."

* * *

"I don't know a lot about makeup, Mimi," Sora confessed as they pushed open the door of Megami's Beauty Parlour. "I'm going to feel kind of silly in here."

"Nonsense!" Mimi dismissed with a wave of her hand. "You don't need to know anything! They do it all for you! Besides, you know the basics, right? How to put on a base-coat of foundation and everything? Not that your skin needs it of course," she said with good-natured jealousy.

"Well…" Sora squirmed, "not exactly. I don't actually own any makeup at all."

Mimi laughed. "Oh, I know you don't have a lot. A small collection's nothing to be ashamed about."

"No, Mimi, I said I don't own _any_," Sora corrected.

Mimi blinked. "Come again?"

"I don't own any makeup. No foundation. No lipstick. No eyeshadow. No nothing."

Mimi stared. "I don't understand."

Sora sighed. "Never mind."

* * *

"I knew Sora wasn't cut out for this girly stuff," Tai said in satisfaction. "The day Sora gets as hung up over makeup as Mimi does, I'll eat myfootball."

"I'm gonna hold you to that one, Tai," Joe warned.

Daisuke shook his head. "I still can't get over Jun."

"Neither can I!" TK guffawed. "Matt's gonna have a heart attack tonight, I bet he won't even recognise her!"

"Hey guys!" Cody called softly from round the corner of the building. "Look what I found!"

"What is it, Cody?" Tai asked, coming to join him. "Hey, what's that?"

"It's a back entrance!" Cody said triumphantly. "I've already been down. At the bottom of the stairs there's a window that looks right into the manicure-room. Cool or what?"

"Lemme see!" Tai pushed past him and squeezed down the steps. "Hey, he's right!" he called up. "We'll be able to see everything from here!"

"You're really getting into this, Cody," TK remarked.

Cody flushed. "Yeah, well, maybe it's a hidden talent or something."

"Dude," Daisuke screwed up his nose as he started down the steps. "Don't let me catch you hanging around _my_ house."

"Shut up," Cody grumbled, following him. "You probably pick up enough tips from Jun anyway."

* * *

"Hmm," said the stylist thoughtfully, standing back to survey Jun. "Tell you what, sweetie. I'm getting the feeling that some liquid eyeliner would look fantastic on you, drawing out into a little pattern at the corner of the eye. That'll give you a real sassy, fancy look. Ok?"

"Sure!" Jun said brightly. "Oh, and when you're finished – could you teach me how to do it so I can do it myself when I want to?"

"Sure thing, sugar. Wait a second while I get my eye pen."

"Isn't this exciting?" Jun turned to Mimi beside her. "Getting a whole new look? I've never been able to put on eyeliner properly before!"

"Really?" Mimi said in surprise. "You and Sora are as bad as eachother. You need to practise. Use Daisuke as a model or something."

Kari spluttered into giggles. "Daisuke in eyeliner!"

"I always thought boys in eyeliner was pretty cool," Yolei commented.

"Well, lucky for you I found Izzy experimenting with the contents of makeup bag once," Mimi told her. "You might just get your wish."

"He didn't!" Yolei gasped, still laughing. "That is _so_ not Izzy!"

"You'd be surprised," Mimi leaned over to Yolei, grinning devilishly. "Back in the fourth grade, Izzy used to suck his thumb. And he was ten years old then!"

Kari exploded into laughter. "Ten! I stopped when I was _four_!"

Suddenly Sora frowned. "What was that?"

"What?" Kari asked, following Sora's gaze to the tiny window in a door in the corner of the room.

"Hmm," Sora said, puzzled. "I was sure I heard a noise back there. Like laughing."

"Probably some people on the street. Hey, Jun, you haven't dished the dirt on Daisuke yet," Mimi complained.

"Yeah!" Yolei sat up eagerly. "Tell us all about his disgusting habits!"

"Well…" Jun said slyly.

"Oh, I can't wait to hear this," Kari squealed. "Come on, Jun!"

Jun's face cracked into an evil smile. "He used to wear a nappy until he was six, and even now he wets the bed every Thursday. He's so dirty that he clogs up the bathplug with hair and dead skin, and he's not ashamed about burping or – um – letting out the other end in company."

"Ew!" Kari shrieked. "That's so gross!"

"Oh, TK isn't exactly the angel of innocence either, Kari," Sora said mischievously.

"Nu-uh." Kari shook her head. "I bet he's never done anything like that in his life."

"I remember," Sora said, ticking off on her fingers as she went along, "that he used to cry so much they almost had to build flood plains round his house. I remember Matt teaching him to pee into the bushes without getting himself wet-" she stopped for a second as Mimi snorted loudly- "and you know what Matt showed me a few months ago?"

"What?" Kari and Yolei asked in unison.

Sora smiled sweetly. "Pictures. Photos of TK as a little boy… at the beach."

"How cute!" Kari gushed.

"Frolicking," Sora carried on, "in the sand. Naked."

"Oh my God, I _have_ to see those!" Kari cried, convulsed in laughter.

Jun giggled. "We have a family album full of pictures of Daisuke playing naked in the garden when he was little. They're a scream, you've got to come over and see them sometime."

"Don't you worry," Yolei spluttered through her laughter. "As if we'd miss that!"

"I'll make a day of it and bring Tai's pictures along too," Kari said.

Sora's eyes widened. "You have naked pictures of Tai?"

"Are you kidding?" Kari asked. "He went through a phase of not bothering with clothes. Our house is full of pictures."

Sora put a hand to her forehead, her cheeks tinged with pink. Mimi clapped her hands delightedly. "What else have you got, Kari?"

"Oh," Kari said superiorly, "I know things about Tai that'd make your hair curl. He doesn't even close the door when he goes to the bathroom. He sings in the shower, really loudly. Oh, and Sora, you know that ornamental hairpin you lost ages ago?" Kari sat back smugly. "He's got it. He keeps it on his bedside table."

Sora put a hand to her mouth, her cheeks flaming. Mimi cackled with glee. "I told you! I _told_ you, Sora!"

"Well, I'm not the only one who should be blushing right now!" Sora yelled in retaliation, rounding accusingly on Mimi. "Joe made a pink valentine cake for you last year that he never had the nerve to send!"

Mimi's mouth dropped open, and her face flushed. "Well – um – after you got kidnapped by Datamon, Tai cried like a baby for you!"

"Kidnapped by _who_?" Jun asked curiously, but the other girls were on a roll.

"Daisuke once didn't fasten his belt properly and flashed the whole of Katsurati plaza!" Yolei cried.

"Izzy used to have a love-affair with his laptop!" Mimi shot back at her.

"Tai licks the plates clean and puts them straight back in the cupboard!" Kari yelled.

"Matt throws like a girl!" Sora shouted.

"Daisuke drinks the water from the fishbowl!" Jun followed up, hardly keeping down her giggles.

"Last year Cody sat on his Kendo stick and had to go to hospital to get it removed!"

"I saw Joe skinny-dipping once in the Digiworld!"

"In the _what_?"

"Nothing, Jun. I was using Izzy's laptop last week and I saw a porn site in his bookmarks!"

"TK once asked me what 'virgin' means!"

"No _way_! Tai once tried to play football with me without noticing I lost consciousness half an hour ago!"

"Daisuke blows his nose on the curtains!"

None of them could carry on. Peals of laughter echoed round the manicure room until the stylists appeared at the door, looking very confused.

* * *

Outside the door, none of the boys were moving. Each had identical expressions of horror etched into their flaming faces. After a few minutes, Tai pulled himself together and straightened up stiffly.

"Well," said. "Well. Right. Um…"

"Operation Girly Day Out terminated?" Izzy suggested.

"I think so," Tai said in an odd voice. "Er…"

Everyone immediately said a very hurried, awkward goodbye and sped off to their respective homes.

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** Well, that's the girly day out finished. Shame, I had a lot of fun writing it. Well, it's not totally over - we still have the dance to wade through!

_(looks around sheepishly as everyone groans)_

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	13. Chapter 12 For One Is Silver, But The O...

**Rumpleteasza:** This time I'm not posting in pairs, because I think this chapter is a little odd one out on it's own and should stay that way for a bit. Secondly, I am having a BIG crisis and if I stay on here any longer, the future of Girl Chat is jeopardised because I may kick the monitor.

There are three things very wrong with my life at the moment.

1) I hardly ever see my brother anymore because he's away on his gap year.

2) My friend Meg has got into the habit of poking me in the boob, then running away laughing. _I_ can't fathom it, but I suppose it must make sense to her.

3) I just found out the guy I like is gay... and fancies my ex-boyfriend. Bollocks anyway.

Soooo, naturally I'm in a bit of a nark-off today. You know, the kind of mood that if you were an Evil Empress you'd rampage around your city blasting things with lightning and terrifying random underlings. But, I have to admit, when I got in from college and found I had almost 20 new reviews for chapters 10 and 11, it really cheered me up. So cheers m'dears, you all rock.

Just remembered this is a fic, not a livejournal or anything, so I'll stop going on about my problems and let you read the next chapter. It's VERY squishy. Interpret it how you like.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

* * *

Chapter Twelve – For One Is Silver, But The Other Is Gold

Tai flicked through the channels on the TV, slumped dejectedly on the sofa._I can't believe Kari told them all those things about me,_ he thought gloomily._ Just wait 'til I see her. She's not gonna get away with this_. He looked guiltily at the small burn-mark on the carpet, where earlier that evening part of the nude photo he'd been trying to set fire to had escaped and caught alight on the rug. He shifted the coffee table so it was covered.

He looked at his watch. An hour and a half 'til the dance started. His tux was hanging on the back of his bedroom door ready to wear, but Tai felt extremely unmotivated about the whole thing. _It's all Kari's fault,_ he thought peevishly, kicking a cushion off the couch to make room for his feet.

The doorbell rang suddenly, making him jump. He frowned. _Who could that be?_ Mr and Mrs Kamiya had gone out for the evening, and he knew Kari and Sora were staying at Mimi's until the dance. _So who…_

Rolling off the couch and lumbering through the kitchen, he threw the front door open to reveal Matt. It could have been the watery evening sunlight, but his friend's light features looked even paler than usual.

"Hey, Matt," he grinned, waving him inside. "Good timing, dude, I was totally bored. What's up?"

Strange, he seemed almost nervous. He hovered on the doorstep for a minute before stepping over the threshold and depositing his guitar case in the hallway. "Can't stay long, gotta get set up with the band before the dance. I… need to talk to you about something."

"Sure," Tai replied, puzzled. "Siddown.Want adrink?"

"I'm ok," he said, perching on a stool by the counter, looking down at his hands.

Tai looked at his rigid posture and set features. Something was definitely wrong. He put a bottle of Pepsi on the table and closed the refrigerator with a snap. "Ok, dude, I know something's up. Tell me what's wrong. You nervous about playing tonight?"

He shook his head. "It's not that."

Tai sat down. "Hey, is this about the lollipop, because if it is…"

Matt's cheeks tinged pink, but he chuckled softly. "Nah. It's…"

"What?" Tai pressed.

"This is kind of hard."

"I can see that. But the sooner you say it, the sooner it'll be over, right?"

"Right." He shifted uncomfortably, refusing to meet his friend's eyes. "Well…"

Tai narrowed his eyes. This was unusual behaviour for Matt. This was how he'd been in their first months of friendship, the first time they'd been to the Digiworld. Back then, he wouldn't have been surprised to see this kind of nervous, guarded, moody behaviour, but now? No way. Matt had changed a lot since those days.

On the other side of the table, Matt seemed to reach a conclusion. He suddenly looked up across the table, and Tai was shocked to see his oceanic eyes more expressive than he'd seen in years.

"Tai," he blurted out, "I'm – I'm bisexual."

The bottle slipped from Tai's fingers and shattered on the tile floor. He hardly registered the noise. Matt jumped up at the smash as glass flew all over the kitchen. There was silence. Tai didn't move. Matt took a step forwards.

"Tai?" he croaked desperately. "Tai, please…"

But Tai could only gape. Brokenly, his pale lower lip trembling, Matt replaced the stool quietly and made for the door, his honey-blond head bowed. He turned the doorknob.

Suddenly Tai shook himself. "Wait!"

Matt stopped and half-turned, but wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Jesus, I'm sorry, Matt," Tai apologised, scrambling round the table to the door. "I can't believe I did that." He indicated the glass. "You – uh – you just kinda shocked me, that's all."

Matt stayed motionless.

"Look," Tai said just as desperately, "I'm sorry! That was really stupid of me. I didn't mean to freak out on you. Look, Matt," he said more gently, "I appreciate you coming to me and I'm really flattered you felt you could tell me. It makes no difference, Ok? You're still the dude, da man, we're still best friends. You are what you are, and I'll stand by you whatever you do and whatever you happen to be. Ok?"

Matt look up at him, his cerulean eyes wet. He looked almost as if he were about to cry. "Really, Tai?"

"Really, Matt."

"Oh god, you have no idea what this means to me…"

Tai felt his throat tightening. _Oh, no. No way. I'mNOT gonna cry._ "Oh, c'mere," he said, his voice wobbling, pulling Matt into a sudden hug.

When had he last hugged like this? Come to think of it, when had Matit laSt hugged like this? He was clutching him tightly, drinking in his support – was that a _tear_ Tai just felt on his neck?

They stood there quietly in the doorway, in eachothers arms, softly illuminated by the pale evening sun. A slight breeze ruffled their hair. The faint noise of the traffic and pedestrian bustle below was a world away.

Finally they broke apart. Embarrassed, Matt wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Tai laughed.

"Look at us, right pair of girls!"

Matt smiled.

"Hey," Tai said reassuringly, clapping him on the back. "Don't worry about it, Ok? Now get to the dance and play like you never played before. I wanna hear some real good music tonight, got it?"

Matt nodded, his blue eyes holding an expression Tai hadn't quite seen before. "Got it. And Tai," he added, "thanks."

"No prob. Go on."

With a last smile, a real smile that showed clearly in his crystal eyes, Matt left.

Tai watched him round the corner and then shut the door quietly. He padded out to the balcony and sat down, staring at the pale sunset. He felt oddly warm inside.

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** Ah, the plot thickens. I like messing around with Tai, Matt and Sora. I still don't know which coupling it's going to end up as. Well, whatever it is, you can be sure Tai will get his come-uppance for doubting Sora's femininity, don't you worry. I'm feeling vengeful and irrational today - just like any other day, then… So I'll probably take it out on poor Taichi-kun in one of the later chapters. 

**Taichi:**_ (quail)_ Please don't... I'll give you money...

**Rumpleteasza:** Arse off Tai, no bribes today, I am in a BAD MOOD. So shoo. Anyhow, looooovely readers, hope the squishiness has appeased you. Comments welcome, as you know. Next chapter you get to see all the girl's outfits... doesn't THAT sound exciting? … I REALLY need to get some better inspiration.


	14. Chapter 13 Et Voila, Les Femmes Fatales...

**Rumpleteasza:** I feel the need for some glomping.

_(glomps Hauntress)_

_(glomps Enchntress)_

_(glomps Callisto)_

_(glomps Tani)_

_(glomps Wolfie)_

_(glomps TaioraCrazedGirl)_

_(glomps IloveTai218)_

_(glomps Lina)_

_(realises she has no arms left)_

I'm almost certain there will be more glomping to come as you lot are quality, _quality_ people. Big snugly minks for all your lovely reviews, especially those people who did their best to cheer me up after my bad mood earlier this week.

Soooo, this chapter is a bit meaningless, it's entire purpose is to give you an idea of how the girls actually look after all this pampering hoo-ha. It's also short (Non! Quelle surprise!) So I'll put up another one right afterwards. Ok, I'll leave you to it - enjoy!

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

* * *

Chapter Thirteen – Et Voila, Les Femmes Fatales!

"Where's my bag?" Mimi shrieked, digging through a pile of clothes on a nearby chair. "I need my bag! It matches my shoes! I can't go without it!"

"Calm down Mimi, it's on the dressing-table," giggled Sora, holding up a tiny, silvery beaded satchel and handing it to Mimi.

"Oh my god," breathed Jun in an odd strangled voice, "look at me! I don't even recognise myself! This is just – I can't – I've never looked anything like this in my whole _life_!"

"You look fabulous, Jun," beamed Kari. "We're all going to have such a fun time tonight. I can't wait to see everyone's faces when they see you!"

"Neither can I!" said Jun, shaking her head in wonder. She looked around shyly. "Do you think Matt will notice?"

"Notice?" Sora guffawed. "He'll faint on the spot! Don't you worry about him not _noticing_, Jun!"

There was a knock on the door. "Girls? Are you ready?" Mrs Tachikawa peered round into the room. "Oh my, you all look so pretty!" she gasped. She called out into the hallway, "Darling, come and look at them!"

Mr Tachikawa appeared at the door and smiled. "There'll be five lucky gentlemen tonight! Do you all have dates?"

"None of us have dates, dad," Mimi told him disapprovingly. "That is so passé. We're all going in a big group, it's more fun that way because we're not tied to any one person."

"Well, you're not leaving before I take a picture of you all," he replied, ducking back into the hallway to retrieve his camera.

"Cool!" Mimi squealed. "C'mon, you guys, everyone ready? Let's get downstairs for a photo!"

Chattering happily, they made their way downstairs and stood in the Tachikawa's beautiful living room. "Ok everyone, get into position!" Mimi yelled. Giggling, they all posed.

_Snap._ "Perfect!" called Mr Tachikawa. "I'll have copies made for all of you. Now you better go, or you'll be late! Go and knock Odaiba High off its feet!"

It was true, the five girls looked pretty spectacular. Mimi, leading the group out of the door and through the garden, looked like a faery princess. Her silky, light pink hair was piled on top of her head and fixed with a mass of sparkly butterfly grips, leaving a few candyfloss strands falling loose and framing her pretty face. Her sugary pink lips co-ordinated perfectly with her eye-makeup, which the stylist had particularly enjoyed doing; two shimmering shades of blue and lilac blended into each eyelid, and cheeks tinged with a fine glittery powder. Mimi's dress naturally fitted her like a glove – floaty layers of delicate material in pearly shades of coral pink, sea green, sky blue and silver seemed to melt over her curves and left her back completely bare.

Next came Kari. Her hairdresser had used a semi-permanent hair-colour for the occasion; a rich, dark plum colour. She'd also added a few choppy layers to give it a little more volume. The colour went well with hernatural makeup. The soft, short-skirted baby-blue halterneck dress she'd bought was a little more daring that she'd have normally worn, but showed off her creamy skin perfectly.

Yolei had chosen a floor-length Chinese-style dress in pure satiny white, and a trip to the opticians before the girls arrived at Mimi's house earlier that evening had awarded her a pair of contacts instead of her usual owl-like glasses. Unlike Mimi's, her glossy lilac hair had been left loose to cascade over her shoulders, going nicely with her pretty, pale pink makeup.

Yolei was followed closely by Sora, who was still not sure this girly look entirely suited her. Like Yolei, she'd picked out a floor-length dress, but hers was slightly retro; strapless, in a rich, dark shade of crimson with a daring split all the way up to her thigh. Her hair, newly glossy and smooth, instead of being tucked behind her ears as per usual fell about her face in choppy strands, and on a whim she'd fixed a small clip studded with garnets on one side. Her wine-dark lipstick matched her perfectly filed and polished nails, and her eyes were brushed with a soft, earthy-brown shadow.

Last of all came Jun. The transformation was incredible. After the aid of two whole bottles of Frizz-Ease serum and more than half an hour under the blow-dryer, Jun's stubborn, bushy hair had finally submitted and now fell down to her shoulders normally. When it wasn't sticking straight out from her head it was easier to appreciate the dark, fiery-red colour, which had been made shiny and silky by the 'miracle workers' at Toni & Guy. Her eyes were smoky and dark, the eyeliner drawn out into a tiny pattern at the corner of the lid. Her lips burnt the same deep red as her hair. As for the clothes, Jun had never so much as touched anything like them in her whole life. On Mimi's advice she'd opted for a simple short black dress with wide shoulder straps and a diagonal skirt, teamed with plain black kitten-heeled sandals. She was smiling – nervously, it was true – but the amazing improvement in her image seemed to be giving her a healthy amount of self-confidence at last.

"Hey, Jun," Sora said softly, falling into step beside her. "You look a little nervous. Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Jun replied, who kept glancing at her hair out of the corner of her eye as if she couldn't believe it, "but it's going to take a bit of getting used to. I've never come even halfway close to looking like this in my entire life. It's kind of weird."

"I know what you mean," Sora said, fingering the fabric of her dress. "I still don't think I'm cut out for being a girly girl. I had a blast today, though."

"Me too!" Jun smiled. "I just can't thank you guys enough for bringing me along. It's so nice to have such good friends and feel popular and…" Jun broke off, looking slightly overwhelmed. "Whenever I talk to people, especially Matt, they usually just run away."

Sora felt a wave of sympathy. "Well, that's their loss. You're a great person, Jun, and we like you a lot."

Jun's eyes welled up. "Thanks, Sora," she sniffled.

"Hey, you'll smudge that eyeliner work of art," Sora joked.

Jun laughed, and stood up straighter. Then she looked nervous again. "What should I say to Matt tonight?"

"Just play it cool," Sora said firmly. "Don't follow him around or gush at him. He doesn't like that. When he's on his break, just stroll up to him, say hi and congratulate him on his music. Don't be too adoring or go over the top, just keep it nice and simple, and when you've finished, tell him something like 'Well, see you around' and come to find us again. That's all you need to do and he'll come running."

Jun's glassy, smoky dark eyes widened. "You think so?"

Sora smiled. "Sure. Just remember, golden rule – be confident and nice, don't be OTT. We know what you're really like, Jun, it's just a shame you seem to lose your confidence around Matt."

Jun drew herself up higher. "Not tonight. I know I look better than normal, and I feel better than normal too. I'm on a roll."

"That's the spirit," Sora grinned.

"C'mon, you two!" Mimi whined from the car. "We'll never get there at this rate!"

Sora exchanged a look with Jun. "What happened to fashionable lateness?"

"We're already fashionably late, and we're not even there yet," Mimi complained. "Get a move on, you're being slower than a Chibimon on treacle."

"A what?" asked Jun in puzzlement.

"Nothing," Mimi said quickly. Then she whooped and threw her arms in the air. "_Alright_! Tai, Matt, Joe, Izzy, TK, Daisuke and Cody, you better watch out! Odaiba high half-term dance, here we come!"

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** (_sigh)_ I want a night out. I feel deprived. 

_(cue dozens upon dozens of offers to take Rumms out and get her utterly sozzled)_

_(cue Rumms waking up and looking wan/longing)_

_(cue sad violins)_

Good grief.

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	15. Chapter 14 Five Cinderellas And Seven P...

**Rumpleteasza:** Ai. You asked for it... And here it is. Have fun, darlings.

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* * *

Chapter Fourteen – Five Cinderellas And Seven Prince Charmings

Tai checked his watch for the fifth time that minute, tapping his foot impatiently. "Where are they? They're fifteen minutes late! If they don't get here soon, I'm going home."

"Boy, aren't you the real Prince Charming," Joe said sarcastically. "They'll be here. Knowing Mimi, she'll want everyone to be fashionably late."

"Fashionably late is one thing, annoyingly late is another," Tai growled.

The six boys were waiting in the lobby of Odaiba high. Matt was already inside with the rest of his band, waiting for their call. Chart music drifted out of the auditorium and brightly-coloured streamers were hung everywhere about the softly-lit building, making it quite unlike the school they knew. Students in evening dress wandered past them, some in couples, some alone, some in groups. Each of the boys were secretly extremely glad they'd agreed with the girls to go in a group, meaning they didn't have to go through the trauma of asking anyone to be their date.

"Wait," Izzy said, peering out the double doors into the night. "I think I can see Mimi's dad driving through the gates."

Joe joined Izzy at the door. "Yep, that's Mimi's dad alright, but I can't see the girls. Isuppose the windows are tinted."

"Finally!" Tai said, blowing out his cheeks. "They certainly took their time!"

"Well, at least I finally get to give Jun a piece of my mind!" Daisuke said angrily as he, TK and Cody reached the door too. The boys heard a car door slam, some voices calling goodbye, and the darkened car drove off again leaving five figures standing on the lawn.

TK squinted. "There are some people coming towards us, but it's too shadowy to see them properly."

"That's definitely them," Daisuke said disgustedly. "I can hear Jun giggling."

"It doesn't sound like her normal giggle," Izzy frowned. "Less high-pitched and ear-splitting."

"If it looks like a hydra and moves like a hydra, it's a hydra," Daisuke replied disdainfully.

Izzy raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know what a hydra _is_, Dai?"

"They've all joined hands again," Cody said in amusement.

A smile tugged at the corners of Tai's mouth. "I'm kinda looking forward to seeing what they've done to Sora. Bet they painted her up like a clown, poor guy."

"Girl," Joe reminded him sternly.

"Whatever, Tai dismissed impatiently. "No matter what anyone says, she's been one of the guys for too long now for me to ever start thinking of her as a gir-" he broke off abruptly as the five girls, smiling and chatting, walked into the light.

Six pairs of eyes popped out of their sockets. Six chins hit the floor.

* * *

Sora wanted to die laughing on the spot when she saw the change in Tai's expression. It took all of her self-control to keep her grin to a mild, feminine smile as she and the others crossed the road. She could tell the rest of the girls were having trouble controlling their laughter as well.

"Evening," she said silkily, keeping her posture straight but relaxed. "Lovely warm night, isn't it?"

She'd waited all her life to hear Tai's response. He couldn't even speak properly. "Sor- what the- you look- how did- where did you- that- that's _unreal_!"

"I'll take that as a compliment." She said without missing a beat, her eyes twinkling through her soft eyeshadow.

Along the line, Joe and Izzy were staring with their mouths hanging open, Cody was shaking his head in wonder, TK was spluttering incoherently and Daisuke had actually fallen back onto the floor.

Having got his voice back, Joe stuttered a few of the many compliments that came to his mind to Mimi, who blushed prettily and winked. Sora couldn't blame Joe for looking a little dazed as Mimi took his arm and guided him through the door into the hall. If Mimi wasn't a work of art tonight, she didn't know what was.

"Jun!" Daisuke managed to get out. "No! There's no _way_ you're Jun! Who the hell are you? What have you done with my sister!"

Izzy, blushing furiously as he turned away from and equally pink Yolei, nodded at Jun with a smile. "He's right, Jun, that's incredible."

"You look very nice, Jun," Cody said, still looking as if he wasn't quite sure this wasn't a joke, and the real Jun wasn't hiding in a bush somewhere ready to leap out and pester them about Matt again.

Sora smiled as she saw Jun's face. She'd never seen her look happier, not even when she got her first autograph personally from Matt. :That's a pretty good sign: she thought with an inward grin.

Daisuke was still shaking his head at Jun in disbelief. "No way. Nu-uh."

"Shall we?" TK said shyly, offering his arm to Kari, who blushed and moved to accept.

"Hey!" Daisuke yelled, abandoning Jun and rushing towards them. "Not so fast! I was gonna ask Kari!"

"Well, I already did," TK pointed out.

"No way, TC!" Daisuke protested, offering his own arm to Kari. "Right, Kari?"

"I-" Kari began, but she was cut off as TK and Daisuke started squabbling at the top of their voices.

"Fine!" Daisuke said angrily after a minute of scuffling. "One arm each, ok?" TK nodded, disgruntled, and returned to his place at Kari's side.

"Does Kari get any say in this?" Yolei inquired sarcastically.

"That ok with you, Kari?" Daisuke asked quickly.

Kari rolled her eyes and took one of their arms each. "_Alright_! Let's just get inside before the whole dance is over!"

Giggling a bit, still aware of the fact Tai was goggling unabashedly at her, Sora shared a private look with Kari, Yolei and Jun before following Mimi through the doors to the auditorium.

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** Ok, the next couple of chapters are MUCH longer, so I'll post them separately and not in pairs again. Hope you're having a giggle... I have COMPLETE writers block at the start of chapter 17, and I have NO IDEA how to finish it. But I expect that will be the last chapter, anyway. So not much more to wade through, don't worry. ; 

xxxxxxxxxx


	16. Chapter 15 The Girl Who Changed

**Rumpleteasza:** Oh. My. God. I - have no words. I am speechless. I've just come back from seeing Lord Of The Rings.

Of course, I've loved the books for years, I'm a pretty obsessive fan, but this... was so, SO GOOD. See it. All of you. PLEASE. I'm telling you, I swear it's worth your while. Even if you're not a Tolkein fan, just - see it.

I'm in a dazy state, I feel all weak, it's not a film, it's a bloody experience. I wasn't going to upload this chapter today because I'm in such a reverie, but I thought I've put it off long enough and you lot have been so good and patient! pats readers on the head It's a bit longer. It's quite cool. See what you think.

**Legolas:** appearing in a puff of green smoke and blinking What - what am I doing here?

**Rumpleteasza:** I'd say that was obvious. (_aside)_ Hrm, pretty, but none too bright …

**Legolas:** I see...

_Rumpleteasza:_ Well, so saying, I think I'll leave you all to read the fic. Have fun, darlings, have fun. (_drags a bewildered-lookingLegolas offstage)_

* * *

Chapter Fifteen – The Girl Who Changed

Glowing, Jun made her way through the crowd in the auditorium, feeling like a queen. People were whispering and looking at her curiously. No-one had recognised her yet. _Well, they'll soon find out!_ she thought ecstatically, spying a group of her friends through the crowd and making a beeline. Then she calmed herself, composing her features into a sultry expression. _Be confident and nice, don't be OTT,_ she thought, mentally reciting Sora's advice. After all, Sora probably knew more about what boys liked than most girls, being such good friends with so many. _Don't gush. Don't be too adoring. Be complimentary but keep it simple._

Jun strolled up to one of her closest friends – Gwen, a member of the tennis team – who was chatting unconcernedly with a group of others, and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hi, Gwen!"

Swinging round, Gwen looked momentarily confused. "Um, hi…" she stopped short, her jaw dropping. "J-Jun?"

Jun tried to hang on to her sultry gaze, but couldn't help beaming at her friend. "The one and only."

"Oh my _god_!" Gwen shrieked, jumping up and down in delight. "Jun! _Jun_! You look _amazing_! Look at your hair! Where did you get it done? And oh my god, that eyeliner design is so _cool_! I can't believe it! Oh my GOD!"

The group slowly dissolved into an unruly, shrieking mass, everyone recognising Jun at once and struggling to get a better look. The students around them gaped, speechless. Snippets of "Jun Motomiya? No way!" and "Has she changed or what?" floated over to her, only making her grin wider.

"Wow, I bet you could totally bag Matt looking like that," Kiko, another friend, told her admiringly.

"Do you think so?" Jun squealed, slipping back into her usual hyper self. "Oh my god! That would be so amazing, how unbelievable, I can't wait to see him, where is he? I wonder if-" she broke off, the mantra coming back into her head. _Don't gush, don't be too adoring. Be confident and pleasant but mysterious. Don't be OTT._

"Don't be OTT," Jun murmured, composing her features. She calmed her voice to a low, unconcerned tone. "Well, I guess that would be cool, but I'm not really bothered. My main priority tonight is to have fun, full stop."

Gwen cocked her head to one side, puzzled. "But you adore Matt. Don't you at least wanna see his reaction?"

_Don't gush, don't be too adoring._ "Maybe," she answered offhandedly. "Hey, who's up for a dance? I'm too full of energy just to stand around doing nothing!"

"Alright!" beamed Gwen. "C'mon guys, let's hit the floor!"

* * *

"So," Mimi smiled, "are you surprised, or are you surprised?"

Joe looked up from his concentration. He and Mimi had been dancing for about ten minutes – quite a feat in his eyes, since his terrible coordination usually ensured he stayed on the sidelines, well away from the dance floor. Tonight it wasn't too bad – Mimi was steering – but he still had to concentrate to make sure he didn't step on her toes. That was the last thing he needed. Mimi was enchanting; she practically shone under the coloured lights, her face, her hair, her dress, everything about her shimmered like some ethereal spirit.

"Surprised?" he asked, raising an indigo eyebrow. "You mean surprised byhow you look tonight?"

"Yeah," Mimi beamed, her warm golden eyes sparkling. "Not just me, though, the other girls too. What did you think of our glorious entrance?"

"Jun's incredible," Joe admitted, focusing over Mimi's shoulder to where Jun and her friends were dancing energetically. She looked like she was having a lot of fun. There was something different about her, not just the way she looked, but the vibes shegave out– she was holding herself differently, she seemed more confident and happy with herself. Joe could see her sneaking the occasional peek at Matt up on stage, but for once her attention didn't seem to be totally centred around him. It did a lot for her. "I didn't recognise her for a moment when I first saw her," Joe carried on, "but then it was obvious. You know," he said with a faint air of softness, "I think it was really – nice of you and the others to include her in all that stuff you did today. She… she never seems very happy and I just get the feeling you helped her a lot, and I just think that's really – sweet," he finished lamely, but Mimi understood what he meant, and glowed with pride.

"What about Sora? And Kari and Yolei? They're pretty different too."

Joe laughed, breaking his concentration and stepping on Mimi's toe by mistake. She yelped.

"Sorry," he apologised. "I just can't help laughing when I think of the look on Tai's face. You know what? When you guys arrived, he was just in the middle of saying no matter what you'd done to Sora, she'd never pull off being girly. And then she walked up, and he just trailed off mid-sentence. It was classic." He laughed again.

Mimi lowered her star-dusted lids coyly. "And what about me?"

Joe felt a blush tinge his cheeks. "Was I surprised? Of course not."

Mimi drew her brows together quizzically. "What do you-"

"I mean," Joe muttered, "that I'm never surprised how beautiful you manage to make yourself."

Mimi took a second to find her voice. "I – thank you," she said softly. And she meant it. Not the best compliment she'd ever received, not by a long way, but coming from Joe? She'd had countless guys telling her she was beautiful, but none had ever made her feel more special.

* * *

Kari laughed as TK spun and dipped her, her plum-coloured hair falling back from her face. "TK! I'll fall!"

"No, you won't," he grinned, pulling her lithely back up to a standing position. "And if you do," he said as he locked eyes with her, "I'll catch you."

For a moment Kari blushed, sensing a deeper meaning. Then the heat faded from her cheeks and she smiled again. "Want to get something to drink? Dancing's thirsty work."

"Sure," TK said amiably, holding out his arm. "After you."

Giggling, Kari took it. "My, aren't we the gentleman tonight."

"Of course. It's a formal dance, after all."

Kari swatted him playfully in the arm. "Ten bucks you'll drop the act by the time we go home."

TK laughed. Making their way over to the refreshments table, they caught sight of Yolei, Izzy, Daisuke and Cody chatting round a small table by the wall. "Hey," Kari leant up to speak in TK's ear, "d'you mind if I catch up with Yolei?"

"Sure," he smiled, detaching his arm from hers and heading to the drinks stand. "I'll find you in a minute. Coke ok for you?"

"Thanks."

Winding her way through the crowd, Kari sidled up the table and waved as Yolei caught sight of her.

"Hey Kari!" Yolei called. "Having fun?"

"Totally," Kari beamed as she sat in the vacant seat next to Daisuke. "How about you?"

"Cool," she answered, brushing a strand of glossy lilac hair out of her eyes. Kari dwelled for a moment on how un-Yolei-ish she looked without her glasses. Not better or worse, just… different.

Suddenly Mimi appeared by the table, glittering gently under the lights, followed by Joe and TK, who handed Kari a coke and smiled when she thanked him. "So!" Mimi exclaimed breathlessly. "This is where you're all hiding! Do you seriously think you're going to get away with not dancing all night? C'mon, lazies, me and Joe have been up there for ages!"

Yolei pushed her chair back. "Sure Mimi, I'll dance!"

"Cool!" Mimi squealed, linking arms with Yolei and flashing her winning smile. Yolei smiled back immediately with helpless delight. Joe, watching them, marvelled at how Mimi was so simply adored by everyone, and how impossible it was to dislike her. Mimi'd be ok, whatever she did. Mimi had class.

Right now, she was pulling a very pink-faced Izzy and a very reluctant Cody to their feet. With a simple "Come on, we'll all dance in a group. You'll love it when you're out there!" she was guiding them away from the table. Joe followed, Kari and TK close behind.

"Daisuke?" Mimi turned and beckoned. "Aren't you coming?"

"No," Daisuke muttered. "I don't feel like it."

Mimi put her hands on her hips, cockingg her head to one side. "You can't just sit here all on your own."

"Watch me," Daisuke spat.

Mimi sighed. She knew his anger wasn't directed at her, and she knew where it _was_ directed, but she couldn't talk to him about it when the problem was standing right next to her chatting animatedly to TK. She shot him a sympathetic glance. "Well, if you feel like dancing, come and find us, ok? We'd like to have you there."

Irresistible Mimi again. Even in his bad mood, Daisuke couldn't help but give her a small smile that was clearly one of thanks. "Will do."

The small, lively group moved away, leaving Daisuke alone at the table, scowling amid the spectrum of dancing couples in front of him.

* * *

Daisuke looked up as Sora sank down into the chair opposite. "Hi, Dai! Hot, isn't it?" she said, fanning herself with her hand.

"Yeah," he said glumly.

Sora raised and eyebrow. "Are you ok?"

Daisuke snapped. He was totally, utterly and completely fed up. Fed up with being ignored, fed up with being made fun of, fed up of being pitied, fed up of being lonely, fed up of never being anything more. "Oh, yeah, fabulous," he shot at her. "I'm sitting all alone crowded in by a load of stupid couples rubbing it in my face, all my friends have gone off and left me, no-one takes me seriously, everyone thinks I'm a dunce idiot and the girl I love completely ignores me and acts all lovey-dovey with someone else right under my nose every day. Yeah, I'm just fucking peachy, can't you tell?"

Sora was silent, her expression unreadable.

Daisuke felt a coldness spreading through his body. "Shit, Sora, I'm sorry," he said weakly, bowing his head. He hated this. He hated apologising for the way he felt, and he hated the guilt he was feeling for admitting it. Why couldn't anything ever be on his side?

Then he felt something thatmade his heart skip a beat– Sora had moved round next to him, and was holding him close against her.

"Don't apologise," She murmured, smoothing his hair. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. I know it hurts. I know you want her to notice you. But Dai, you're a valuable friend to her, you know you are. Think of how many times you've put your lives in eachother's hands."

"Yeah, a valuable friend. Only a friend."

He could almost feel her expression, sad and gently truthful. He was right. TK and Kari were soulmates, and nothing would change that. But god, it hurt.

Sora's arms stayed around him, letting him shed a few tears into her neck that she pretended not to notice. He knew that she understood he'd never usually be caught dead crying. Come to think of it, why was he doing this in front of her? Although he'd known Sora a fair few years, he didn't actually know her really well. But he felt comforted and safe. This was the kind of big-sisterly thing that in his deepest, most secret moments he'd admitted to himself that he wished Jun would do for him.

Sora broke away from him and looked away as he wiped his eyes. Then she took his hand. "Go on. Go and find the others. Ka… _they're_ not with them. It's just Mimi, Joe, Izzy, Yolei and Cody. You'll find it's better than staying here by yourself."

"I don't want to hang around with the couples," Daisuke almost whimpered.

"They're not couples," Sora said firmly. They're dancing in a group as friends, and they miss you. Go to them."

"No-one misses me," Daisuke laughed bitterly. The laugh died as he caught the expression on Sora's face.

"Are you saying they're not really your friends?"

"Of course not-"

"Don't _ever_ say that. They're the truest friends you'll ever have. It's the reason you were a chosen Digidestined. Not only that, you were chosen to be their _leader._ Doesn't that give you some idea of your capabilities?"

"I guess so………"

"Of course it does. I think there's more to you than people realise, Dai. Now go on, they're waiting for you."

Daisuke got to his feet, feeling hopeful and apprehensive and strangely heart-full at the same time. "Sora, I……… no-one's ever said this stuff to be before, I – I mean, I really apprecia-"

"I know." Her voice softened. "Go on."

He hovered for a moment before disappearing into the crowd. Sora watched him go and heaved a sigh.

"Still playing the mother, I see."

Sora whipped round. "Jesus, Matt! Give me a heart attack, why don't you?"

He smiled roguishly and slipped into the seat beside her. "So, Daisuke had the pleasure of your compassion? Lucky guy. Let me guess – Kari."

Sora stared wistfully out through the hive of people on the dance floor. "Who else?"

"Of course. But how come you're all on your own out here? Where's your faithful other half, the gloriously insensitive but incredibly big-haired Taichi?"

Sora laughed and scooped a pretzel out of the bowl on the table. "Other half? I wouldn't presume so far as that." She crunched the pretzel up slowly. "And as for insensitive, I think he's just naturally very blatant. Not the type to be afraid to let you know exactly what he's thinking, be it good or bad. Perhaps he should have got the Crest of Sincerity."

Matt's full, shapely lips twitched upward to a smile. "Perhaps."

Sora fingered a strand of her soft, glossy, newly-cut hair. "You on a break? How's it going so far?"

"What, with the band?" Matt's oceanic eyes danced. "Great, Even better than I thought. Practically everyone's dancing. My only regret is that being the actual provider of music, I can't dance myself. Shame really."

"Or is it?" Sora regarded him with laughing crimson eyes. "Exactly how many simpering fans do you think you'd have to avoid?"

"Good point."

Sora pushed away the pretzel bowl and began to stand up. "You want to find the others?"

Matt's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "Wait."

There was such a profound change in his tone that she turned and stared. Low and husky. His plump lower lip was trembling slightly, his crystalline eyes were pleading and intense, gazing unblinkingly at her through strands of honey-gold hair. His grip in her arm seemed vaguely electric.

Sora stayed absolutely still. His stare was piercing, mesmerising, so utterly soul-baring that any words she had stuck in her throat. "Wh… M… Matt?"

"I need to talk to you." Loosening his grip, but never looking away, he steered her gently back into her seat.

Sora couldn't tear her eyes away. How did he _do_ this? What kind of power did he have at his command, to hold a person's attention so completely and so fully? In all the years she'd known him, she'd understood that there was definitely more to Matt than met the eye, but she had never experienced it so intensely before.

"Tell me anything you like." She heard herself speak. It was him controlling the situation, and they both knew it.

"You're the only one I want to tell. Tai and TK know. But I want you to know. You understand me, at least more than most other people, and I know I can trust you. I want to tell you."

Sora felt as if she was drowning. Drowning in emotion, intensity, happiness, pride, confusion… Matt was truly an enigma.

His lip trembled again. "I'm… bisexual."

Sora's mouth fell open. She started to laugh; she couldn't help it. Relief flowed from her. She grabbed his hand and grinned. "Matt! My god, I thought you were going to tell me you'd been experimented on by alien intelligence or something. Jesus Christ. I know you're bi, Matt, I've known it for years." She shook her head in wonder. "The way you build things up… I swear, you've got an _incredible_ gift to hold a person's attention. Amazing."

Matt stared at her, open-mouthed. "What? You _knew_?"

"Of course I did. I've seen the way you behave. Little things, like watching a video with me and commenting on male actors as well as female; the way you respond when the other guys are talking about people they have crushes on; the way you act around Tai. How could I not know? I _do_ hold the Crest of Love, remember. It's only natural I should be able to tell."

Matt shook his head, his eyes full of relieved disbelief. "I don't believe this. And you never said anything?"

"Why should I? It's not like it's a big deal."

"It's not? You're cool about it?"

Sora laughed again. "What do you mean, 'cool about it'? It's not even an issue. So you like boys. Well, so do I."

"Yeah, but –" Matt struggled to justify why being bisexual should be an issue. _Come to think of it,_ he thought in confusion, _why exactlyIS it an issue?_ "– You're a girl. It's natural for you to like boys. I'm a boy. It's natural for me to like girls. And I do, but I like boys too. It's just…" he trailed off.

Sora shrugged. "When it comes to talking about what's natural, you're talking about yourself and no-one else. If it feels natural, then it is natural. What's so confusing about that?"

Matt stared at her in frustrated admiration. "I've never know anyone to make it so clear. You're fantastic, Sora, you're just… an enigma."

Sora laughed, blushing with pride. "I was thinking the exact same thing about you a minute ago. Did you forget to confess you're a telepath, on top of everything else?"

"A telepathic bisexual," Matt mused. "There's a new one."

They laughed together. Both separately felt a sense of comforting understanding.

Jumping up, Matt grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, his eyes shining in child-like playfulness. Sora marvelled at how many levels his personality had. "I've got five minutes before they stop playing this chart music and my band have to get back onstage. How about a dance?"

Sora peered through the crowd. "I think I can see Tai and the others out there. What d'you say we go and join them?"

He grinned his winning smile and dragged her into the mêlée.

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** Hope you enjoyed that. Next part up when I shift my ass into gear, but chapter 17 might take a while to get out - still writing, mad writer's block, no, sinking, too difficult... urgh. Plus I'm not in a Digimon mood AT ALL at the moment. Not after LOTR. My God.

Hauntress, I put you on my favourites as soon as they were up and running, because you're an excellent person and I think you deserve it. However, it rests on your own opinion of whether being glomped is good or bad... especially when the glomper is me... Izzy knows that well enough by now.

**Koushiro:** (_tremble)_ Please don't come near me.

**Rumpleteasza:** Oh, you are a scallywag. (_glomps Koushiro)_

**Koushiro:** Urgh - help - me...


	17. Chapter 16 Expect The Unexpected

**Rumpleteasza:** (_pacing in panic)_ Ok. Ok. It's alright. I can get through this. It's just a mind-over-matter thing. I can rise above it. I can smother it. No, there's nothing to smother, nothing's happening, I'm fine, I don't - I don't - I don't-

**Koushiro:** Are you trying to say-

**Rumpleteasza:** (_cutting him off)_ No, I don't, I don't, It's not true, I don't-

**Koushiro:** That you actually-

**Rumpleteasza:** (_putting her hands over her ears)_ NO, lalala, lalalala, la la, I can't hear you, I don't, nothing's happening, it isn't true-

**Koushiro:** That you actually...

**Rumpleteasza:** (_singing loudly)_ LALALA LA LAA, I CAN'T HEAR YOU-

**Koushiro:** ... fancy a hobbit?

**Rumpleteasa:** I DO NOT FANCY FRODO IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. I'll have you know he's HALF MY SIZE, the sheer mechanics are PREPOSTEROUS! I DO NOT FANCY A HOBBIT, I DONOTFANCYAHOBBIT IDONOTFANCYAHOBBIT IDON'TIDON'TIDON'T!

**Koushiro:** (_shakes head)_ This is the final straw - it really is-

**Rumpleteasza:** Oh god, this isn't happening. It can't be. I am NEVER going to live this one down. DAMN YOU ELIJAH WOOD AND YOUR INEXPLICABLE ATTRACTIVENESS!

**Koushiro:** If you can reign your attraction for one minute, perhaps, you have some readers to attend to...?

**Rumpleteasza:** DAMN! Ok, sorry, sorry sorry sorry. I'm a mite flustered this evening. Um - where am I - oh yes! Penultimate chapter! At least, I think so. I hope so. I'm ready to start a few new projects, watch this space for them. Another humour story perhaps. Any suggestions?

This chapter is basically another dance-chapter, we get Matt's reaction to Jun among other things. It's kind of bitty, but everything will be tied up in the next chapter, don't worry. Then Girl Chat will FINALLY be finished and I can find something else to stress about.

**Koushiro:** Like fancying a hobbit?

**Rumpleteasza:** (_hands over ears)_ LA LA LAAAA, LALALALA LA LAAAAA…

* * *

Chapter Sixteen – Expect The Unexpected

Daisuke lingered moodily by the refreshments table, picking idly at a plate of salt and vinegar crisps and feeling rebellious. He'd spent a while with the others, but although Sora's words still rung in his ears, he just didn't feel like being very sociable. What he really wanted was to forget about Kari, and it was difficult to do that when he was surrounded by her friends.

Sighing, he glanced out across the hall to the happy group of his dancing friends. There was Cody, overcoming his usual shyness and twirling Yolei around. There was Izzy and Mimi, Laughing uncontrollably as Joe tried to moonwalk but tripped over his feet. Matt must have been on his break because he was there too, helping Tai spin and dip Sora while she shrieked and giggled. And although he didn't look, he knew TK and Kari were slow-dancing just outside the circle.

They all looked so happy. They all looked as if they belonged.

Daisuke leaned back in defeat against the wall, looking up at the ceiling and running a hand through his spiky, rust-coloured hair. He didn't want to just stand there staring at a public display of affection. Jesus, was nothing sacred?

Pushing away from the wall, he was just about to get outside and into the fresh air when in the corner of his eye he caught sight of another solitary figure, standing alone in the shadows near the refreshment table.

He squinted. For a moment he thought his eyesight was failing – the figure was shadowy, hazy, with a blurred outline. But as he looked on, it became just as clear as everything else, melting into the background of students.

On sudden impulse, he turned away from the door and headed back to the table. The figure was still there, half in the shadow below the coloured spotlights trained on the dance floor. He squinted, approaching slowly. What was it about the figure that made it seem not quite there?

It was a girl. Not very remarkable, not especially pretty. She wore a dress very similar to Jun's, plain black and unadorned. She leant back against the table, surveying the hall with careless precision. People passed her, unseeing.

Daisuke felt himself walking towards her. For what reason, he wasn't sure. He had a sneaking suspicion that he was the only one to see her properly instead of the hazy blur he'd encountered at first. Reaching the table, he leaned back on it beside her and picked silently as the crisps. "You on your own too?"

"Depends what you mean by alone." Her voice was a low English accent. Not particularly outstanding, but the hustle and bustle around him seemed to fade out as she spoke. "We're surrounded by people, if that's what you mean."

"None of them are talking to you though, are they?" he pressed. He judged her to be a little shorter than Sora, Mimi, Yolei and Jun, with long dark hair and grey eyes, made dull by the flashing colours around her. The most ordinary girl you could think of. Her attention, although directed all over the room, seemed to rest on him.

"You are." Her voice jolted him out of his reverie.

"What? I'm what, sorry?" he said, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"Talking to me. You said no-one's talking to me, but you are. Does that mean you're nobody?"

It might have sounded rude, but somehow he thought that it wasn't so much an insult as a simple statement. It made him think for a minute.

"No," he said finally. "No, I'm definitely someone. I have lots of friends."

"Why aren't they with you?"

"I wanted a little time on my own."

She turned and grinned. The difference it made to her face was startling. For a moment, she seemed almost visible to the people milling past them – a couple turned to look at her curiously before passing. "Ah, but you're not on your own, are you? Unless you think I'm nobody."

He was about to protest when he saw her expression – she was joking. Smiling back, he offered his hand. "I'm Daisuke Motomiya."

She shook it. "Bit of a mouthful."

He laughed. "Just a bit. What's your name?"

"Whatever you want. You can call me Tea if you like."

He frowned, nose wrinkling. "Tea? As in the drink? Are you serious?"

"Like I said, whatever you want. I'm not picky when it comes to names."

If it was an odd thing to say, Daisuke didn't notice. He didn't notice, either, that he hadn't brooded over Kari for over five minutes and counting – quite a record.

He relaxed against the table and nibbled a sausage roll. "Why are you alone?"

"Why are you alone?"

He shrugged. "Some girl I like went of with another guy. I'm not all that bothered, really." And to his amazement, he found he was right. "Your turn."

She shrugged too. "No reason. Just waiting for someone to notice me."

"You came on your own?"

"You mean arrived? Yes, I suppose so."

He struggled with his reasoning, but it seemed to be slipping into comatose. Why did he need reasoning, anyway? "But – you don't go to this school. You don't, do you? Because I'd have noticed you before now. Wouldn't I?"

"I've been here, if that's what you mean. I'm not enrolled as a student." She pulled herself up to perch on the table in a sudden, fluid motion. "But I come here sometimes."

"Why? Do you know people here?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

She laughed. If laughs had colours, hers would be bright yellow. It seemed odd, in view of her dull appearance. "So many questions! I know you, don't I?"

"Yes, but we've only just met," he argued.

"Does that matter?"

"Yes! Well… maybe. I don't know." He frowned, trying to piece his thoughts together. "Does it?"

She picked up a sherbet-iced cake from the table and licked the topping off with relish. "Probably not. It's possible to know lots of people without them knowing you."

"Is it?"

"Yes."

They were silent for a moment. Tea ate her cake slowly, seeming to enjoy it thoroughly. Daisuke stood thinking. Then – "Where do you come from, then?" he asked, trying to gather together his rationality. It was difficult.

"Does it matter?"

"Just curious. Why do you always answer my questions with questions?"

"Do I?"

They laughed together. Daisuke's anxieties floated away without him even noticing. He got up. "I'm in the mood for dancing now. How about it?"

She hopped lightly off the table. "Why not? It's a lot better than standing by the refreshment table waiting for you to come by and cheer up."

Daisuke stopped, confused. "Waiting… what?"

"Waiting… what?" she mocked softly. "Come on. We'll be by this table all night if we don't get out there soon."

And she led him happily out into the crowd, where the people she passed by stepped out of her way and then stepped back, not noticing her and forgetting her instantly.

* * *

Slowly, fending off the odd fanatic fan, Matt made his way round the side of the hall, nearing the stage. He was in such a good mood he even stopped to sign a first-year girl's shirt in lipstick, something he would never normally take time to do. His confessions to Tai and Sora had lifted a huge weight off his shoulders.

"Matt?"

He swung round, hearing the voice behind him, as a vaguely familiar girl stepped out of the shadows near the stage. _Not bad_, he told himself, noting her flattering plain black dress and shiny rust-red hair. "Hi, wh-" his jaw dropped as the realisation hit him. "Jun?"

"Hi," she said pleasantly, smiling. "How are you?"

"I – um – well, I'm – I'm fine," he spluttered, dumbstruck. "You – er – you look very different… I'm guessing you went out with Sora and the others today, yeah?"

Jun laughed, a proper laugh, not the high-pitched giggle Matt had come to dread over the past year. "Yeah, it was great fun. Too bad I didn't get to know them properly sooner, they're really nice."

"Yeah, they are," Matt agreed, feeling slightly dazed, staring at her glassy, smoky eyes with their tiny eyeliner patterns. "Uh – Jun –"

"Well, I have to get back to my friends now," Jun cut him off airily, fingering a strand of her hair. "I just came by the tell you congratulations, your band's a pretty big success. You play very well."

"Um – thanks…" Her compliments were a lot nicer than her crawling, he noted.

"I might see you later if us girls get a taxi home with you boys." She started to walk away, her glossy hair slipping over her shoulders. "See ya."

"See ya," he replied instantly, gazing after her, his eyes as wide as saucers. He turned back to the stage in shock.

_Did that just happen?_

* * *

Kari sighed contentedly. She and the other girls had snuck away to witness Matt's reaction to the 'new Jun', and it had worked like a dream. Jun was now back with her own friends, and had been babbling excitedly and smiling like an idiot ever since. _Of course_, she mused, _I doubt Matt will ever seriously consider her as a girlfriend, but I think she gave him a shock tonight._ She was glad – if only for the amusement value. _Why didn't I bring my camera…_

"Kari?"

Kari swung round. "TK! You startled me."

He grinned his lopsided grin. "Sorry. How come you're hiding over here? Matt's doing the only slow song he knows, you don't wanna miss a rarity like that!" He looked down at her shyly. "Would you – would you like to dance with me?"

Kari felt her stomach do an odd flip, and the blood rush to her face. His eyes were so soft, so melting… but she'd known TK for years, and he'd often looked at her with eyes like that; so why should this time make her blush?

"I'd… I'd love to," she replied nervously. _Nervous? Why should I be nervous?_

TK's eyes lit up to a laughing blue. Taking her hand, he steered her back onto the dance floor. Gently, as if she were the most fragile thing in the world, he tentatively wound his arms around her and swayed slightly to the music.

Kari rested her head on his chest, breathing deeply, wondering why her heart was beating so fast.

* * *

"…So basically, all you need is a firewall. It's really very elementary, if a little hard to calculate," Izzy explained, his cheeks flushed animatedly as they always were when he talked about his greatest love – technology.

Yolei leaned forward, replying just as vividly. "But that's the problem – we thought the firewall would have it sussed, but a virus still got through to the lab computers. Perhaps if we altered the configuration, and then-"

"What _are_ you doing?" asked a horrified voice behind them.

Yolei turned, her silky hair slipping over her shoulder. "Oh, Mimi!" she beamed. "Me and Izzy were just discussing the lab compu-"

Mimi held out her hand. "I heard what you were discussing! Computers? This is a dance!" She shook her head. "_Honestly_…"

"We're having a good time," Izzy protested. "That's what we came here for, isn't it?"

"I promise we'll come and dance for the last song, Mimi," Yolei placated her. "We were just trying to figure out how the virus got past our lab's firewall. I think we need more programs added," she suggested, turning back to Izzy. "Surely we can afford to invest in a detector?"

"It'll take a while to configure one that's compatible, but you're right, it's a wise thing to do," Izzy agreed. "What we need is a warning, then we'll have more time to sort out potential bugs before they cause too much damage."

Mimi put a hand on one hip, eying them both, a smile forming on her glossy lips. "You know, you two are a match made in heaven. You realise that, don't you?"

Izzy broke off and flushed scarlet. Yolei followed suit. Mimi breezed away, leaving both of them glancing shyly at each other and finding that neither could remember a single thing about virus firewalls.

_Damn cupid Mimi_, Izzy thought.

_I wonder what the best way to mute a matchmaker is,_ wondered Yolei.

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** Yes, I know, I know, I KNOW. Blatant and disgusting self- insertion. But I couldn't leave poor Daisuke on his own to fester, and I was at a TOTAL loss of what to do with him. When it comes to romance fics, let's be honest, everyone's off doing the dirty with everyone else, with the possible exception of Cody. And frankly, Daisuke/Cody pairings are beyond even ME to dream up. So that was my only option. Sorry if it made you want to print this off and ram it down my throat for mary-sue'ism. Many apologies.

**Frodo:** Next thing you know, you'll be writing self insertion LOTR fics. It's just beyond the bounds of good taste.

**Rumpleteasza:** What the- AARRGH! What the FREL are you doing here? Do you KNOW the danger you're in? I'm trying to detox myself of hobbits at the moment, IT DOESN'T HELP WHEN THE MOST ATTRACTIVE ONE APPEARS IN FRONT OF ME AND - AND - and - and... (_glazed look)_

**Frodo:** (_backing away warily)_ Why are you looking at me like a ravenous ferret…?

**Rumpleteasza:** (_blinks)_ Oh, you're so pretty...

**Koushiro:** (_to Frodo)_ Run.

**Frodo:** What- why is she-

**Koushiro:** Run. Just run.

:-D xxxxxxxxxxxxx


	18. Chapter 17 Who Says There Are Never Hap...

**Rumpleteasza:** Oh my god. OH. MY. GOD. It's finally done. Finished. Finite incatatem. No, wait, that's Harry Potter. Anyhow, my pretties, HERE IT IS! How amazing. I can't believe I've finished this, I thought the day would never come. Eh, I really should say something witty to commemorate my last chapter, but I think all this last-minute writing has drained me of my creativity. Isn't that just the way.

So, with no further ado, whether you're laughing, crying, wanting to kiss me or stab me, or perhaps don't really care much at all, HERE IT IS, THE FINAL CHAPTER. fanfare Go on, get stuck in. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Seventeen – Who Says There Are Never Happy Endings?

"Ok!" Matt yelled into his microphone. "It's the last song of the evening, and we're gonna go out with a bang! So tell me, are you ready to _rock_?"

A huge scream from the crowd was his response, apart from the playful _"Cliché, dude!"_ yelled by Tai from somewhere out in the dance floor. Sticking his tongue out at Tai, causing several fans to swoon and faint, Matt shifted his guitar and played the opening note to his last – and loudest – song.

Tai, Sora, Mimi, Joe, Kari, Tk, Yolei, Izzy and Cody were all squashed up right at the front by the stage, dancing like mad hyenas, laughing themselves silly and not caring a bit how they looked. The dance floor was rammed, everyone was out of their seats, and the hall was a surging mass of happy teenagers in a rainbow of colours.

Sora looked around, scanning the crowd. "Where's Daisuke?" She yelled over the din.

Tai pointed. "Over there, near Jun's crowd."

Sora peered through the mob, catching a few glimpses of Daisuke's red hair. He was on his own – or was he? Was he dancing with someone? She caught Tai's arm. "Hey Tai, who's he dancing with? I can't see them properly."

Tai shrugged. "Some girl. I dunno." He grinned suddenly, grabbing her hand and twirling her. Sora shrieked with laughter and pushed him away.

"Don't!" she giggled, "you'll have me on the floor!"

His eyes twinkled. Sora gasped. "Tai! I didn't mean _that_!"

He laughed and took her hand again. Beside them, Joe, Izzy and Mimi were dancing madly. Sora mused how confident and happy they looked, especially Izzy, who would normally not be caught dead dancing like a wild thing at an end-of-term party. Looking at Joe, she suddenly remembered a conversation she'd had with him earlier that evening.

"Tai," she shouted over the noise, turning back to him. "I happened to hear about a little bet you made today. About eating yourfootball if I turned out girly?"

Tai groaned. "How did you know about that? Hey, I wasn't serious! It was a spur-of-the-moment thing!"

"No buts mister, you're following that through, and I'm watching every minute of it."

"Ah, but first we need to decide if the bet's been won properly," he said mischievously. "Did you really turn out girly?"

Sora stopped dancing and looked down at herself. "Didn't I? I thought I did." She looked up, confused. "You don't think I look girly? I went through all that today for nothing?"

Tai stopped dancing too. He took a step towards her, looking deeply at her with chocolate eyes.

Sora felt herself go pale. _Why is he looking at me like that? What's he doing?_ "Tai?" she whispered, her voice lost in the deafening music that pounded around them. "Tai? What-"

And before she knew what was happening, Tai put his hands on her waist, drew her towards him gave her a soft, lingering kiss.

Sora nearly fainted. This was Tai. _Tai_. Her best friend and childhood companion, Tai, Taichi Kamiya, kissing her with a tenderness she never knew existed in him. His hands were cupping her face now, and how could they be so gentle? Those same hands that threw her roughly to the floor in a boy's playfight just three days ago?

Tai broke away. Matt's song finished, to a storm of applause. Sora just stared, open-mouthed.

He leaned next to her ear. "That's for being girly, gorgeous, fun, easy to talk to, a good laugh, brilliant at football, and my best friend ever. That's for being Sora."

Sora almost choked, feeling her eyes fill up.

He leaned in again, grinning. "And about that football. I said I'd eat it if you ever get as hung up over makeup as Mimi does, not if you ever managed to be girly. So I'm still safe, as far as I know." He raised his eyebrows. "But if you ever pull a stunt on me like you did with that poor waiter, you'll be doing worse than eating sports equipment, I can tell you."

Sora looked round at him, puzzled. "That waiter – how do you –" her hand flew to her mouth. "You were there? You were _following_ us?"

Tai couldn't keep the self-satisfied smirk from his lips.

Sora shook her head. "I'm going to kill you. Run, Tai, because _I'm going to kill you_."

He yelled and took off through the crowds of students leaving the hall, Sora in hot pursuit.

Joe glanced after them, handing Mimi her coat. "What's up with them?"

"Lover's tiff," Mimi said knowingly.

"Lovers?" Cody said, his eyes wide.

Yolei sniggered. "Just an expression, Cody. Tai and Sora aren't lovers. Don't worry, your innocence won't be tarnished."

Cody pulled on his coat, looking disgruntled. "I'm not exactly a kid anymore. I'm not that innocent."

"What's a 69, Cody?" asked Yolei impishly.

"Yolei!" Mimi gasped, giggling. "You're _evil_!"

"A number," Cody said, puzzled. He looked around at the giggling group, hardly being able to contain their laughter. "What?"

* * *

The air was hazy and soft, pleasantly between warm and cool. The sky was peachy pink and baby blue, and the sun was low. The golden light filtered through the leaves, falling in dappled patches on the soft, sweet-smelling grass. It was Sunday evening, and the Digidestined were in Odaiba park in their comfiest clothes, eating ice-cream and watching the sunset. Sora, Daisuke and Tai kicked a football between them as the others watched lazily. 

"It's it pretty?" Kari sighed, her face lit by the golden glow. She and TK were leaning against a tree, wound in eachother's arms.

"Beautiful," TK murmured, looking half at the sunset and half at Kari.

"Sunsets are magical, aren't they?" Mimi said happily. "There's just something about them. Sitting like this on a summer evening, listening to the birds sing their last song of the day, the wind rustling in the trees. It really is magical."

"Very poetic, Mi," Joe laughed. His long legs were stretched out in front of him as he gazed through the thin canopy of green above him. Cody was snoozing gently on the ground. Beside him, Yolei was lying on her back, running her fingers through the grass. Izzy sat by her, oblivious to the world, playing idly with her lilac hair.

Out of breath, Sora left Daisuke and Tai kicking the ball to eachother and flopped down next to the others. "That's it. It's too lazy an evening to be doing something active."

"Isn't it always too lazy an evening to be doing active things?" Matt said sleepily, rolling over and looking at her. "I don't understand where you get your energy from."

"Neither do I. But after the dance last night, I'm just worn out."

"Me too," Kari smiled. "It was good though, wasn't it?"

"Brilliant," Tai put in, strolling over to the group with Daisuke, carrying the football under his arm. He sat down with the others. "There'll never be another one as good as that at Odaiba High, that's for certain. A one-off."

"You must have thought so, TK," Daisuke teased, "I saw you nodding off on Kari's shoulder on the way back………"

TK looked up quizzically. There was no hint of over-protectiveness or jealousy in Daisuke's voice, usually a normal occurrence when discussing Kari. What was more, he'd got TK's name right. All he saw in Daisuke's deep brown eyes was a warm friendliness, a sight that made him feel strangely heart-full. He smiled. "I was shattered. Anyhow, we didn't see much of you all evening – who was that girl you were dancing with?"

Daisuke shrugged peaceably. "Dunno. She disappeared after the last song. I had fun, though. It was a good evening."

"Jun phoned me this morning," Mimi said, turning round and addressing the girls. "Her hair's come back with a vengeance."

Sora giggled. "Oh well, at least she knows how to tame it now. She was pretty amazing, wasn't she Matt?"

Matt looked thoughtful. "It's weird. I mean, she was still very Jun-ish, and yet she was completely different. I don't know. She made me think, that's for certain."

Daisuke grinned. "She'll never hear the end of it from me. I want to know how much she paid those hairdressers."

Sora groaned. "Too much, too much. There's a gaping hole in my savings, I don't know about the rest of you girls."

Kari nodded ruefully. "A big, unrepairable, horrible hole. I had to get Mum and Dad to give me an advance on my allowance."

"Better keep it as a yearly event, perhaps," suggested Yolei. Her eyes were closed. "By the way, Iz, we'll have to spend another day on those firewalls. I couldn't keep my mind on it today, I'm just feeling too lazy."

"All the time you want," Izzy murmured contentedly, combing his fingers through her hair, his onyx-dark eyes sleepy.

Sora looked at the sunset, filling her eyes with it until everything burnt amber. It was such a nice evening, she wished she could sit there with all her friends for ever and ever. _I'm so lucky,_ she thought. _I have the best friends in the whole world. Who could ever want anyone better-_ her thoughts were rudely cut off as someone shoved a handful of grass down the back of her neck. "Argh!" She swung round. "Tai!"

He threw another handful at her. Spitting leaves out of her mouth, she tore up a clump herself and scrambled to her feet. Tai bolted for it, laughing, as she leaped onto his back and knocked him to the ground.

"Please, guys!" Matt moaned, putting a hand over his eyes. "It's tiring me out just _watching_ you!"

Mimi giggled, watching Tai and Sora disappear in a blur of flying grass. "It's getting a bit dangerous out here, I think. I'd better get home." She got up, brushing off her skirt.

Joe yawned and stretched, standing up beside her. "Come on then, I'll walk you."

Mimi smiled and pecked him on the cheek. Waving to everyone, they turned and strolled towards the gate.

"Would you look at that." Daisuke whistled as the silhouetted couple's hands met and clasped. "Definitely together, then?"

"Yep, I suppose so," Matt said, watching them turn the corner and walk out of sight. "Mimi and Joe. I wonder how that'll go down with Mimi's 'popular' friends?"

"Oh, they won't be bothered," Yolei said carelessly, ignoring the shrieks of laughter coming from Sora and Tai a few meters away. "They were nice to me, so they'll definitely be nice to Joe. They're a pretty decent crowd."

"All right, I give up!" Sora choked over on the grass, weak with giggles. She collapsed onto the ground, Tai's arms still around her waist. He sat behind her as she leant back against his chest.

"That's payment for that day at soccer practice," Tai warned, giving her a squeeze. "But I won't always let you off so easily."

Sora closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. She wasn't sure what her and Tai's official status was, but to honest, she didn't care. She felt like they were closer than ever before, whether they were just best friends or boyfriend and girlfriend or whatever. They'd just play it by ear. Everything was perfect.

Opening one eye, she gazed round the group. Daisuke was chatting happily with Izzy and Yolei, and though his glance strayed occasionally to Kari, there seemed to be no pain or suppressed heartache in his eyes. Unrequited love may have been making him suffer for years on end, but he finally seemed to be breaking away. Over at the foot of the tree, Matt lay with his hands behind his head, eyes closed, completely at peace with the world. Cody had woken up and was laughing along with something Yolei had just said. And somewhere outside the park gates, Joe and Mimi were strolling through Odaiba hand in hand.

Finally she came to TK and Kari. They were silent, in eachother's arms, as close as they could get, gazing at the waning sunset. Kari's head lay in the hollow of TK's neck, and he was resting his cheek on her temple. Their fingers were intertwined. Definitely soulmates, Sora decided. Destined to be together. Unbreakable. TK and Kari would last forever.

_All in all_, Sora thought as she listened to Tai play with the grass beside him and felt him give her another squeeze, life is pretty good. _Girly or not girly, with friends like these, life is definitely-_

But she didn't get to finish. Again, her thoughts were rudely interrupted as Tai jerked his arm in front of her and shoved a wad of grass in her mouth. Spitting in surprise, she whipped around as he crawled away, helpless with laughter at the leaves stuck in her hair. Sora shook her head in disbelief.

_Some things never change._ She ripped up a handful of green and raced away after him.

_fin._

* * *

**Rumpleteasza:** sobbing uncontrollably It's all over! My rampant squealy girliness has no longer any outlet! What will I do? 

Anyhow, I'd just like to thank anyone who had EVER reviewed Girl Chat, You're all too bloody generous, that's what I think. Special shouts:

Tani - Love you, honey. Thanks for reviewing anything and everything I've done, and posting it on your beautiful site 'Preserved In Amber'. (_gets £20 for the plug)_

Hell's Hauntress - (_glomp glomp glomp glomp)_ A multitude of glomps to you, you excellent excellent person. Thanks for giving a strange unknown writer the benefit of the doubt!

Canopy 4 - Thanks for your brilliant email review, I really appreciated it. And for sharing my love of Frodo. Viva la Hobbits! ;;

Callisto Nicol - Thanks for reviewing all my stuff and being so complimentary! (_puts 10kg of sherbet in the post to Callisto)_

IloveTai128 + TaioraCrazedGirl - I think between you, you must have done all my chapters! Cheerz luvs, you're stars! (_immediately puts Tai in a parcel in the post to IloveTai128 + TaioraCrazedGirl)_

Kali - Same to you Kali, thanks for doing all my chapters. And the priceless 'Matt and the Lollipop' idea. (_dies laughing)_

Wolfie - Compliments, suggestions and constructive criticism from you have been really good, and thanks for pointing out stuff I'd missed, stuff I'd done well, and the 'impromptu hair gel'! lol!

Enchantress - Thanks for all the comments, and cheering me up when I was depressed, that was very, very cool of you! (_huggles Enchantress)_

Lina - ACK! I'm still wondering what that thing is you said you were sending me! Thanks for all your comments Lina!

I'm pretty glad to have got Girl Chat over and done with. The whole thing has been a bit of a bugger to write, because it's such a liquid plot. I hope to god it's turned out all right, but you can never tell when you're the author.

I'm actually at a loss of what to do next, but I'm feeling a bit mentally unstable at the moment. Too much Xena: Warrior Princess may even cause me to do the unthinkable and write a crossover. OH MY GOD. It may never happen, but hey. It's hard to tell when you're as explosive and unpredictable as my inner creative mind.

**Koushiro:** Live on the edge of a metaphorical knife, don't you dear?

**Rumpleteasza:** Danger could be my middle name. But it's Louise.

xx


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